Calypso's Hand
by mypiratecat1
Summary: PostAWE. Spoilers! WE, of course. Jack has lost the Black Pearl to Hector Barbossa. Can Jack, Captain Will Turner and Bootstrap Bill Turner find a way to get her back, and possibly end Will's curse early? STORY IS NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer**__: All characters belong to Disney. I just borrow them now and then. I would love to borrow Jack Sparrow and Will Turner permanently. _

_**Author's note: **__As I did in my other long fic, I want to let readers know that my version of Jack Sparrow and his friends try to show many sides to them. In my fics, they might be a little "nicer" than some prefer. I, for one, got very tired of the three main characters hating each other in many fan fics since "Dead Man's Chest". In my fics, almost all post AWE, I like to think that our trio have gotten past all of that, like adults. They are very much friends and allies in my Pirates world. I like to write about the ways that one can be a good man, even if, in Jack's case, one doesn't want to be, but can't help it. Ye be warned:) Pirate Cat_

_**Dedication: **_ _I dedicate this fiction to_ _PirateofSherwood! Thanks for encouraging me to pursue this idea, mate! I finally decided to take the plunge and try another full blown fic, and get away from one shots for a few days! Pirate Cat raises her mug of rum \to PirateofSherwood, and winks! _

The world was a different place for Captain Jack Sparrow. He looked out over the vast expanse of ocean all around him and his little wooden dinghy, his homemade pirate flag dancing in the breeze above his head. He was sailing toward the Spanish territories, his chart spread out upon his knee, his compass in hand, and a bottle of rum nestled in the crook of his thin elbow.

If any seagull were to look down upon the sight, it might have had to circle several times in order to take in the sight, fully. This strange man, slender as a reed, floating along in the middle of nowhere, talking to himself and seemingly to an entire crowd of people that he seemed to think were sailing along with him in the tiny boat. He was slightly built, almost scrawny, with dark skin and darker brown eyes, his waist long brown dreadlocks jingling with trinkets and beads. His long red bandana floated in the breezes as if they were also sails, and his battered leather tricorn hat rested proudly (and crookedly) upon his head. Now and then he would look up at the sky, and ponder how he had come this far in his life... throughout his life he had striven to maintain a positive outlook, in spite of a horrifying childhood and a deadly life as an adult. He had barely survived many battles, and had the physical scars to prove it... the last adventure had left him with irreparable mental scars. Others had looked upon him through the years as mad, although it was partly true, and partly an act to disguise the pirate captain's true intentions. Unfortunately, his mental state had deteriorated to a state of extreme and permanent addling of the brain... Captain Jack Sparrow could not always tell what was real, and what was not, since death had taken him to The Other Side... and his friends had brought him back.

His madness was not always to his detriment. He was a highly intelligent and clever man, and those who loved him did so without bias against what his mind had come to, these days. Not that it mattered... he was all alone, in a small dinghy in the middle of the sea. His ship, the mighty Black Pearl... his love, his life, his home... was gone, "commandeered" by his former first mate, Hector Barbossa. Jack and Barbossa had an acrimonious relationship... Hector had led a mutiny against Jack many years back, and Jack had patiently taken 10 years to track the Pearl all around the world. He had been able to regain his ship with the help of young William Turner and his lass, Elizabeth Swann, only to lose her again... along with his life, to the dreaded sea monster, the Kraken... the pet of the now very late ruler of the seas, the legendary sea ghost, Davy Jones.

Jack floated along, thinking of all of this, and became a bit meloncholy. He and his friends, William and Elizabeth, had gone through true hell, and they had each gained so much... but they had all lost so much, also. William nearly had lost his life at the hands of Davy Jones, who was under the control of Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company... the very man who had tortured Jack Sparrow for resisting orders to transport slaves, and who had branded him a pirate, literally... Jack would forever bear the scars on his back and left arm from the whip, the firebombing of his ship, the Wicked Wench, and the white-hot branding iron that was pushed forcefully into the flesh of his right arm. He had nearly died that night, and Cutler Beckett was also directly responsible for nearly killing Jack's best friend, William Turner the Second, at World's End... it was because of Jack's heroism that William's dying hand was responsible for stabbing the beating heart of Davy Jones, saving William's life, but cursing him to become the next captain of Davy Jones' soul reaping ship. Now Jones was dead, the Kraken was dead, and through the heroism of Captain Jack Sparrow and William Turner, Lord Cutler Beckett's ship was sent to the depths in flames, and Beckett also met his end.

Jack still marveled at the memory of seeing the rebirth of the mighty Flying Dutchman ... Jones' evil was feared among all sailors, but upon his death, the Dutchman was resurrected in its true form - a stunningly beautiful ship with pristine and pure white sails, bright with the promise of a renewed spirit and the purpose of helping those who had lost their lives at sea by ferrying their souls to their final destination. It was a noble vessel, with a noble purpose, entrusted with these souls by the sea goddess, Calypso.

But it had it's price. William was forced to forfeit his living heart, cut from his chest by his father and first mate, Bootstrap Bill Turner. He was to become a supernatural and immortal being, enabled with many powers, but enabled with great compassion and an even greater sense of determination to help those in need. He was also forced to be seperated from the love of his life and bride, Elizabeth Swann Turner. They'd had one passionate day and night together, before William had to leave Elizabeth on an island off of the coast of China. She would be well cared for by the villagers there, and would live comfortably, but they were not to see each other for 10 years. It was during these 10 years that William was to work to regain the Flying Dutchman's purpose of doing good work... if the Turners remained faithful to each other and their shared mission, the curse would be lifted after the decade had passed. But it was also said that if William could perform _more _than just the task at hand... selfless acts of pure love and caring friendship... perhaps Calypso might... _just might_... consider releasing William from his duties prior to the ten years that she had laid down as law. He would also have to nominate and gain approval of another to replace him as the captain of the Flying Dutchman... another that would keep the true spirit and mission of the grand ship alive for eternity. But that was simply what Jack had heard in the taverns of Tortuga, and he was never really sure if he really heard things, or if his impaired mind had made them up...

Jack Sparrow took another swig from his bottle of rum and thought about the entire situation. His meloncholy deepened... these moods overtook him at times, and he was apt to be lost in thought for hours. His ship was gone, he was off on yet another adventure, but he was also alone again. Always alone... it was during these moods that his demons overtook him... and he would always close his eyes tightly, and try to fight them all off. Had he condemned William and Elizabeth by saving William from death? Death was what Jack feared more than anything, yet did he help his best friend by saving him? Or did he cause more misery? The captain never set out to purposely cause misery to anyone, yet it seemed that he had been doing that ever since he was born upon his father's ship. His father... Jack closed his eyes and tried to shut out the memories of a father who had never wanted him... and who Jack had needed so badly, all along...

Captain William Turner was standing at the railing of his ship, watching the storm that was brewing in the distance. It would be wise to submerge the Dutchman soon, as the sea would quickly be churning wildly. It simply made for an easier voyage underwater, and it was an interesting experience going from the upper surface of the ocean to the lower surfaces. William had transitioned into his present state quite naturally... it was not unpleasant, but he was still not accustomed to the thought that he was no longer the man that he used to be. It was strange, he thought, that his body looked the same on the outside, other than the extensive scar across the breadth of his chest, yet he was completely different - a being that was indestructable, save for the beating heart that Elizabeth was guarding. He thought about her constantly... they were not allowed to lay eyes upon each other, but nothing had ever been said about not being able to communicate in other ways. He had been thinking about this a great deal, and wracked his brain to come up with a way to tell his love how much he missed her.

As the handsome young captain stared out before him, he wondered, absently, about his friend, Jack Sparrow. Quite frankly, he was worried about the captain. Jack had shown his true colors At World's End... he was a good man, a caring man, a hero, even if he was a flawed hero. He was a pirate, but having become a pirate, himself, prior to his present state, William found that he understood Jack Sparrow more and more completely. The man had gone against incredible odds merely to survive as long as he had in life, and William found that any doubts that he and Elizabeth had been holding against Jack were unfounded. The captain was not like anyone else... misunderstood... not always trusted by most, but to those that tried to understand and know him, Jack Sparrow was a very good friend to have... the best friend to have... and ever since they rescued him from death, he had sworn to the Turners to be their friend for life. Jack had meant it.

He wondered where his friend was... Captain William Turner wished that Captain Jack Sparrow was there with him, simply to talk to...

The seas had become heavy, and the rains pelted William's face as he concentrated on the feeling that had come over him... he knew that there was another being on the seas in the vicinity, but could not tell who or what it was. The wind was blowing wildly, and he should have issued orders to his crew to take the Dutchman below, but knowing that someone might need help made him delay. He could not leave anyone at the mercy of the sea and the raging storm, if they needed his aid.

"Quite a blow, son! Might I ask you why we are still surfaced?" William's tall father, Bootstrap Bill Turner, approached his captain, holding his cap on his head with one hand and hanging onto the railing with the other. William's brown eyes met with his father's sparkling clear blue ones, and he tossed his head out over the waves. "There is someone out there, Father. Someone is out here in the middle of nowhere... they might need help..."

Just then, Bo'sun pointed out past the Dutchman's starboard bow and shouted, "I sighted someone, Cap'n!!! Off starboard!!! A vessel with a single man in it!"

William and Bootstrap rushed to the railing on the starboard side, and William could not believe his eyes. The figure in the tossing little dinghy was lying in the bottom of the boat, and he was not moving. The little dinghy was spinning around and around, and William shouted orders to snag her and bring her alongside. Bootstrap Bill also sensed what his son had sensed...they both grabbed a grappling hook and started helping the crew to pull the small boat to the side of the rocking Dutchman. William shouted, "Get blankets and plenty of rum, men! This man saved my life! By God, it's Jack Sparrow!!!"

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	2. Chapter 2

Jack's head hurt. It hurt in the most abomidable fashion, and he hesitated to open his eyes, knowing that it would only exacerbate matters. He groaned, and slowly brought a hand up to a rather large knot on his head, right in the middle of his forehead. Much to his surprise, his bandana has been removed, and a cold, wet towel was in its place. Where was he? It felt like a bunk... on a ship... or maybe another hallucination... where was he?

"...Jack? Can you hear me?" The voice was familiar, yet it sounded like it was coming from somewhere near the coast of Sweden, or some other ungodly place. He cracked open his eyes... ungodly place, indeed... his eyes uncrossed themselves, and they fell upon the smiling faces of Captain William Turner and Bootstrap Bill Turner.

Suddenly, every muscle in Jack's slender body sprang to life and he sat straight up, then, open mouthed, he skittered backwards across the bunk, like a dreadlocked crab, and slammed his back against the wall next to the bunk. He stared at them for a moment, before the pain overtook him, and he almost fainted. "...Oi! Bloody hell! I'm dead again, an' I'm on the bloody Flyin' Dutchman, an' ye're both tryin' t' reap me weasly black soul!" the captain groaned, his hands holding the wet towel over his eyes, instead of the lump on his head.

William laughed, "... no, you daft scamp, we fished your sorry arse out of a sorry little boat in the middle of a bloody storm, in the middle of _nowhere,_ so we would NOT have to reap your weasly black soul!" Bootstrap also laughed, as Jack let the towel drop just enough that his huge, round eyes could stare at both of them for a moment. He blinked hard several times, then the same eyes rolled around the cabin, taking it all in, before he spoke again.

"... William... I'm not dead?" Jack asked, plaintively.

"... no, Jack, you are very much alive," William smiled broadly at his friend, then looked at his father and nodded. Bill immediately produced a bottle of rum, and three mugs.

"Fer medicinality purposes?" Jack asked, hopefully. His eyes finally rested on the mug that was handed to him... he then closed his eyes, and realized just how wet, and cold, and pained he was..."oooooh, me head..."

Williams leaned toward the captain, and said, warmly, "Jack... I'm glad to see you. But what are you doing clear out here, all alone, in a pathetic little dinghy?"

Jack opened his eyes as Bill placed a dry, warm blanket around his shoulders. Jack grumpily pulled it around himself, and groused, "William, I'll thank ye t' not be callin' me ship, 'Th' Sparrow's Revenge', pathetic!"

Bill whooped with laughter as Jack looked at him, an expression of hurt on his face. "Wha's so funny?"

"'The Sparrow's Revenge'??? That name is bigger than th' dinghy is, Jack!"

"... well, it's th' only ship tha' I have right now, an' I thought it was a good name, considerin' th' circumstances..." the pirate captain put the wet, cool towel back to his painful head. "...ohhh, how did I get such a such a goose egg?"

William pressed the mug of rum back into his friend's hand, as Jack had his eyes covered, also. He winced to think of how much Jack's head must be pounding, right now.

"When we pulled your boat aside of the Dutchman, you were laying on your back in the bottom, unconscious, with your feet over the side of the boat and an oar in your hands, damn near drowning in rain. It looked as though the wind had caught the sail, the sail caught the oar, and it smacked you right in the head...knocked you out cold. It's a good thing we were in the vicinity to save you, or you might be here for an entirely different reason, mate."

"It's a fine thing... " Jack muttered, "... you hits _me_ in th' head wif an oar on Isle de Muerta, I hits _you_ in th' head wif an oar on Isla Cruces, and now I hits _meself _in th' head wif an oar out in the open sea. Dangerous things, oars."

Bill and William glanced at each other, and William finally approached Jack with the inevitable question, "Jack... what happened to the Black Pearl?"

Jack took the towel down from his eyes, and sighed. "Hector Barbossa commandeered her on Tortuga..."

"_What_???" William was incredulous that Jack had let the Pearl slip out of his hands again, and that the Pearl was once more captained by a man that who had no entitlement or right to her. Jack winced. "I'm sorry, Jack," William reached out and took the towel from his friend's hands and dipped it into a basin of water. He wrung it out and handed it back to him.

Jack couldn't look up at his friends. "We got back to Tortuga an' I let everyone have shore leave. We all lef' th' ship in shifts, so as not t' leave the Pearl unguarded. Once I left th' ship, I thought tha' I had trusted crew aboard, an' I took Gibbs wif me... once again, I was wrong..." he said, bitterly. "I came back to the docks, I found Gibbs asleep, and me Pearl gone. Hector had sneaked back on th' ship an' took her... There was nothin' tied up in her place, except th' little dinghy..."

Bill looked at his dejected friend with sympathy, "Was it a mutiny, again, Jack?" Bill was almost embarassed to ask this question, considering all that had befallen them because of the last mutiny that Barbossa had led. Jack was marooned and homeless, Bill sent to Davy Jones, and the Pearl and her crew were cursed by Aztec gold.

"Mutiny? How th' blazes would I know?" Jack replied..."I jus' came back, an' she was gone!" He pressed the towel to his aching head, and muttered, "... I should never trust anyone... I should never trust _anyone_! An' Gibbs had th' bloody nerve t' jus' waltz off wif Scarlet and Gisele, an' leave me standin' there... o' course, tha' was after I smacked 'im one."

"Be fair, Jack... Gibbs has always been there for you, when it all comes down to it," Will smiled, gently, "He probably thought it best to leave you to a temper tantrum that you were, no doubt, pitching with great enthusiasm."

Jack looked up, pouting. "Aye, an' he prob'ly knew tha' both of us wouldn't fit in th' dinghy, anyway...oi, me head..._bugger_..." he whimpered.

Later in the evening, the storm was still raging. They could not go below with mortal Jack among them, so the Dutchman stayed on the surface of the sea. The little dinghy was lashed firmly to the side of the mighty ship, and bobbled around in the water like a small duckling next to it's mother. The three friends remained in Captain Turner's cabin, and talked well into the night. Jack's head throbbed steadily, but the rum and the wet compress seemed to help, and his mood became more congenial. They all shared a great laugh at the thought of Jack cutting the center out of Hector's prized chart for the American Spanish Territories... a captain's charts were a prized possession, and it was tantamount to treason to damage or steal charts.

Finally wishing to change the subject, Jack turned to William, and asked, "So, Captain Whelp... how are ye adjustin'? Did Jones leave things in such bad a shape as I suspect?" He paused, then asked, "... how is... can ye contact Elizabeth?"

William looked out the windows of the cabin, his eyes watching the waves tumbling about in the wake of the Dutchman's stern. "Jones was, indeed, a loose cannon, Jack. He had been neglecting his duty to ferry souls for some time. In the time that it took you and the Pearl to reach Tortuga, I had much work to do. Fortunately," he continued softly, "... I have few distractions..."

"... ye didn't answer me question direct, lad... can ye contact yer wife?"

Bill spoke, as William continued to stare out into the darkness. "William has tried, Jack, but we have not heard from her yet. I am thinking that this is a test from Calypso... I am thinking that she is intercepting any kinds of messages that William is sending to Elizabeth... I am sure that we'll be in contact with the lass soon, but we have had no success, yet."

Jack pondered this. "How are ye tryin' t' contact Izzy, Will?" This was the first time that Jack used his nicknames for both Elizabeth and Will, and William turned around and smiled at him for it. "... Calypso told me to use the most primitive method that you could think of, Jack... a message in a bottle, of all things."

"Well, Will, I should be supposin' tha' these bottles might reach their destinations a bit different than usual, if Calypso is involved..." Jack finally was on his feet, swaying with the rocking of the ship and with his hands punctuating his words. "By th' same token, the bottles might be intercepted by said same sea goddess, an' held for a bit, jus' like ye said, t' test yer patience an' yer indur... indear..." he searched for a word, then inexplicably looked at no one next to him and said, "...endurance... thank ye, mate..."

Bill stared at Jack for a moment, until he saw Will looking at him, shaking his head as if to say not to mind Jack's frequent wanderings of the mind. Bill mused to himself, "I never knew Jones to try t' write t' anyone, nor did he ever try t' contact anyone... he had no friends, no allies... so I am afraid I know of no other way except what Calypso tells us."

Jack approached Will and put a hand on his shoulder, and said reassuringly, "I know tha' she is alright, mate, an' she knows tha' these things take time... our Izzy is a strong lass, an' thing's 'll be jus' fine... by th' by, what's this I hear 'bout a possibility tha' th' curse could be lifted early, hm?" Jack leaned forward, twiddling a finger in the air, and caught Will's eye.

William glanced out of the corner of his eye at his friend, his hands clasped behind his back. "Calypso and I discussed it, briefly, but I am not putting a lot of faith in that one, Jack. I am simply resigning myself to ten years service to the Dutchman... and hoping that I can be released at that time, if things go the way that I wish for them to."

Jack joined his friend, staring out the windows of the cabin... he was already trying to think of something, some way, to regain his ship and help bolster William's outlook... in a way, it felt like old times, in Port Royal, as a pirate captain and a young blacksmith formed an alliance to regain those things that they loved so much. "Well," he said, brightly, "I think tha' we both have problems that need t' be addressed, gentlemen... we need t' think some things through..."

Bill studied the backs of the two men before him... one was his son, the other was a man who, for a very long time, had wished he was Bill's son, also. He wondered if... no, he was _positive_ that the two of them, together, would come up with some kind of answers to both of their problems.


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth Turner took her daily morning walk along the beach, with a basket in her hands. It was the only thing that helped her in her deepening sadness at being parted with her husband, her lover, her very life. She had stood on this same beach in what seemed like so long ago, and watched him disappear into the surf... she had then watched his ship melt from her vision and into the waiting horizen. The green flash had warmed her face in that sunset, but it only made her heart feel as though it had stopped for a moment. She knew that this was how it was to be, and knew that William would come back to her someday... she simply did not know, for certain, when... would it be sooner than ten years? She hoped with all of her heart that it could be, but if need be, she would count the days... months had passed since they parted, and she could only mark off each day as one more until she was forever reunited with her beloved.

She had kept the chest with his living heart in a safe place, and every day she would go to it. When she was feeling lonely and low, especially during the nighttime hours, she would curl herself around the chest, and would find a great deal of comfort in hearing the heart beating strongly, inside. It would make her smile with happiness when it would beat faster as she tightened her arms around the chest... she would close her eyes and imagine William's strong arms around her. The chest, itself, was a hard, cold inanimate thing, but the heart inside of it was beating, strong and true, alive and real, and she would protect it with her own life. At times, she would awaken in the morning, to find herself still wrapped around the chest, her hands gripping it tightly... the only thing that would keep her from dissolving into despair was the steady, constant, strong beating from within... he was with her.

On this morning, as she walked, bare footed, through the lapping water, her thoughts were interrupted by an object that bobbed against her ankle. She looked down to see a brown glass bottle, sealed with a cork and wax, and she picked it up to observe it more closely. There seemed to be something inside of it, and she smiled with amusement to see that it was a piece of rolled up parchment. Curiously, she popped the cork off of the bottle and pulled the parchment out of the bottle's thin neck with her tiny fingers.

As she unrolled the parchment, Elizabeth's hazel eyes widened. They then filled with tears, and with a gasp, she dropped to her knees in the wet, sticky sand ...

_"My dearest Elizabeth, _

_I am hoping with all of my soul that this letter finds it's way to you. I have no other way of trying to reach you except by placing this missive into a well sealed bottle and throwing it into the sea. I am the master of the sea, as it is, but I find that I am limited as to even what I can do, so perhaps with fair currents and Calypso's blessing, you shall know what has happened so far. I have sent countless messages to you, and have recieved no response, but I keep hoping. If I repeat myself in my letters to you, please forgive me... it is only that I want to include you in my life as it is, and I do not know if any of these messages are reaching you. How many months has it been, my love? Too many since I last saw your beautiful face, kissed you, and held you in my arms. I miss you so much. I love you so much." _

Tears began to stream down Elizabeth's face... her eyes were filling so hard that she could not read for a long moment. She wiped her eyes hard with the backs of arms, then focused on the parchment in her trembling hands.

_"Davy Jones left his duty so derelict that I have really had to work diligently to make things as they should be. There is so much to learn, so many souls to guide that have had no place to go for so very long. With Father's and the crew's help, I have been able to finally do what Jones left undone for so long. I am hoping that this keeps me in Calypso's favor, but I have not had any feelings as to whether what I am doing is right or wrong; I can only go with what I,myself, feel is right and just. _

_My crew is a good crew. They are all glad to see Jones go. They are all fine men, and all, save for one or two that elected to go on, have stayed with me to help me with my tasks as the new Captain of the Flying Dutchman. They are as loyal a crew as any captain could hope for. In many ways, they have made the adjustment much easier for me, although they can not alleviate the pain of missing you as much as I do. They understand. They have all left loved ones behind, and many of them have been brokenhearted, yet they are loyal to me and my mission. I can say with great happiness, dearest, that my heart is NOT broken... it is safely being guarded by you... as you always know, my heart has always been yours! _

_I have a bit of good news to share... at least, I note with some amusement, I hope that you will think it is good news! Guess who is on the Dutchman with us? None other than our friend, Jack! No, darling, have no fear, Jack has not so soon met his death, again! We found him adrift in the Caribbean Sea, in a tiny little dinghy ("The Sparrow's Revenge") during a storm, knocked out with the oar that he held in his own hands. He has lost the Pearl to Hector Barbossa, again, and set out alone to find it, and believe it or not, the Fountain of Youth. That's right; Jack is alone, again. Sadly, he is not improved since we last saw him. In fact, I think that he is worse. I am worried about him, and hope to keep him along with us as long as I can, as I don't know how long he could last on his own, now. Of course, he is just as confident as ever, but he is talking to himself a lot more, these days. He hallucinates more, now, and becomes lost in thought a great deal... his mind drifts. Because he is aboard the Dutchman, we can not submerge, but I am finding that we can coax just as much speed from this ship with knowledge that Father and Jack have provided simply by being the sailors that they are. I swear, love, that Jack is the wind, itself. _

_Please do not be hurt or jealous that Jack is here, and you cannot be, my darling. You know how it must be. Somehow, Jack knows that I can be released from my bonds to the Dutchman if I can prove myself above and beyond the calling of my duties, and is determined to regain his ship and help me to be reunited with you. I am hopeful that we can get his ship back, but am trying to be realistic about my own fate. At least you and I know that we can be reunited forever at the end of 10 year's time ... I am wishing that it could be sooner... I know that Jack has always had much patience to plan things and make them come to fruition, and I must give credit to him since he was the one that read the chart correctly and solved the riddle to escape from the Locker... but we know that his mind is not what it was before. I do not know if I can rely on his senses, but he seems to have his scrambled mind made up that we will think of something. _

_Perhaps we can make it happen. It would require a great deal of valor, sense of fairness, and love. I do not know if I have enough of any of them, but Jack, in his infinite optimism, seems to think that we can formulate a plan and make it work. I know that I have so much love for you that if that were the requirement, alone, I would be in your arms right now. But I think that it requires love for others, also. And just the right combination of all of the qualities that I mentioned, above. There is a reason for everything, dearest, and it is not for us to question why things are the way that they are... unless of course, it's Jack, who questions everything. _

_It's amusing, really, as he and I have seemed to switch places, a bit... I am the one that is willing to be patient if it means that you and I can finally be together forever, and Jack is the one that can hardly wait to come up with some way to free all of us! In all seriousness, I think that he is feeling that he is to blame for you and I being parted... but in truth, he is the reason that I am not truly dead, and that you and I are not parted forever. I am not sure that he is looking at it that way... all that he sees is that you and I are not together right now... just as he and the Pearl are parted. Poor Jack. _

_Well, my love, I must close and go back to my duties. I love you and miss you so much, and I hope that this bottle makes it's way to your island. Please write back to me, in the same fashion, and I shall answer you right away. If this is the only way that we can be together for now, I shall write to you a hundred times a day! In the meantime, keep hoping... and keep a weather eye on the horizen. _

_All of my love to you, my darling, _

_Your Will_

_PS - Jack says to tell "Izzy" hello! He knew that would irritate you. _

Elizabeth Swann Turner clasped the parchment to her chest, weeping with utter joy. This letter had been in Will's very hands... the hands that she craved to have running through her hair, caressing her with love. Her mind was racing, as was her very heart. She gasped for breath, then raised her eyes to the beautiful, gleaming blue sea before her on this lovely morning.

"I love you, Will!!! I love you!" she cried out. She reached her arms out to the horizen, then clambered to her feet clumsily in the unforgiving sand. She threw the brown glass bottle into her basket, along with the sea shells that she had been gathering, to run back to her cottage and place the letter inside of the chest, tied with a ribbon from Singapore, for safekeeping. She would immediately take up her quill, and put her own loving and happy words to the paper that had been on her table ever since the night that Will had left... he was alright, and now she knew that she would be, also. Will was alright... Will was alright...

"I love you! I love you! I love you!" she chanted with the rhythm of her running feet. Oh, try as she might, she could not seem to make her feet run quickly enough... she clutched the letter to her heart as she ran, as if she, like Jack, was the very wind, itself...

_**Author's note: **No, Elizabeth is not pregnant right now, as we are led to believe at the end of the movie. That will be explained later in the story... there will be lots of surprises! ---Pirate Cat gives a big, happy, Jack-like wink---_


	4. Chapter 4

Bootstrap Bill was up on the quarterdeck of the Dutchman, watching the man who was standing up at the bow, his posture slouching slightly, his hands tucked into the striped sash around his waist. His long coat blew around him, and his tricorn hat was pulled low over his eyes. Jack had awakened in with a strange look in his eyes on this day, and was uncharacteristically quiet. Bill looked over at William, who was studying a chart and consulting with a compass to chart their course.

"You're concerned about Jack, aren't you, Father? " William could read the look in his father's eyes, as they both studied the still figure that had been standing in the same manner, in the same place, not moving... for hours. The only way that one could tell that he was not a carved statue was his head rocking slowly back and forth... back and forth...

"He has been so quiet and just... odd, Will. I have known Jack Sparrow for years, but I have never known him to be... "

"... this bad?" William sadly finished his father's sentence. He rolled up the chart and tied it with a small piece of leather string. He sighed heavily, "Jack was this way when we found him on the Other Side. Even with not knowing what we would find if we found him, I wasn't prepared for what we encountered. He can't help it... he can't control it...and now he fears that he is impeding us because of his presence on the Dutchman...can anyone blame him for locking himself in my cabin last night when we were administering to the crew of the last ship that went down in these waters during the very storm that we found him floundering around in? It shook him up, it reminded him of things...and he has been muttering to himself all day."

Bill shook his head, and looked a bit guilty for his time of service under the former captain of the Dutchman, "Maybe it is because there was no one there to 'administer' to _Jack_, when the Kraken took him down... I hate to say it, son, but Jack needed someone there for him when he went to the Locker, and no one was there to guide him... no one as there to help him..." Bill looked away from both William and Jack... both Jack and his own son had suffered, and were still suffering, because of Davy Jones.

William looked angry for a moment; not only did he despise Jones for what he did to his father, and for all of the lost souls that were relying upon him for aid, he was now furious for watching his friend when he got into a state, such as the one that he was in, now... he blamed Jones for the damage done to Captain Jack Sparrow... damage that Jack was doing his best to live with... today, it had been a losing battle for the captain.

William looked sadly at the lone figure, whose hands were now out at his sides, long, slender fingers waving ever so slightly and delicately in the fine, misty spray of the sea as it flew up in the bow's wake and washed over him. He was becoming soaked in the spray, but did not seem to be aware of it.

"Maybe one of us should go to him, Will... I feel like he needs us, as much as you need him... we're his friends, son... you told me that he put so much money and love into restoring the Black Pearl back to her glory after the curse, and now she is in Hector's hands, again... should I go and see if he wants to talk?"

"... it won't do any good, Father. When Jack is like this, he wouldn't hear us...it's best to leave him alone, until it passes. All we can do is keep an eye on him...he is just having a bad day..." William replied. He then turned to Bill and said, "We've got to decide how we are going to put our plan into motion... Jack needs the Black Pearl... and we need to call on some friends to help us... I have charted a course to Tortuga. We need to find Joshamee Gibbs."

And the slight, silent figure remained alone at the bow, until the sun went down, and William finally took him away from the waters that held no answers for the man who, once again, simply wanted his ship back...William gave Jack some rum, and sat with him until slumber finally came to him... slumber that would help him to force the depression deep down inside of himself... back to its own Locker...

Joshamee Gibbs waited in the shadows of the harbormaster's shack on the dock in Tortuga City. He had recieved word through a cryptically written note that was passed along to him by a tavern wench at the Faithful Bride that he was to meet with "an old friend" at the docks after dark. The note said that it was a very serious matter, and the wench could give him no other explanation except that whoever had passed along the note requested that his assistance was required immediately, and that it was imperitive. He had no desire to stay on Tortuga... he had worn out his welcome with Scarlett and Gisele, especially since Jack had simply disappeared from the dock on the day that they were returning to the Pearl after a day and a night in town, and Gibbs had no money. Of course, Jack had no money, after having had a fine time merrily and deservedly getting drunk and singing his shore leave away, but Gibbs conceded that it would have been a more pleasant stay on the island with Jack as company, even if he was in a foul mood after the departure of the Pearl, without her captain.

Gibbs sat in the tavern and perused his options... he could stay away from the dock and stay on Tortuga and end up in the same sorry state that Jack had found him in the last time, or he could go down to the dock and find out who was wishing to meet with him. He would simply make sure to have his pistol loaded and have his dagger ready at hand.

"Mr. Gibbs," came a familiar voice out of the humid darkness, a voice that Gibbs had thought he would never hear again. He looked around with wide eyes, and whispered, hoarsely, "Will??? Will Turner???"

A tall figure came into view in the lantern light, standing up in a long boat tied off to the dock... a tall figure with curly dark hair under a faded blue bandana... and an open necked shirt, showing a muscled chest bearing a long, jagged scar. Gibbs tore his eyes away from the sight, when the figure extended his hand and smiled. "Aye, Joshamee... it's me."

Gibbs hesitated, then stepped down into the boat and took William's hand in a hearty handshake, "Will! I never thought tha' I'd lay eyes on ye again, lad!" He then hesitated again, and cleared his throat, "... how are things on the Flying Dutchman?" he asked, conversationally, trying to cover up his discomfort that he was now meeting in the dark with the captain of the legendary ghost ship, in spite of the fact that this captain was a good friend and ally.

"... things on th' Dutchman are as fine as bloody frog's hair, ye scalawag," came a familiar, slurred, husky voice that came from the front of the boat. The figure had been cloaked in darkness, away from the lantern light, and as he leaned forward, Gibbs burst into a grin to see the smiling visage of Captain Jack Sparrow, whose dark features were easily hidden in the nighttime.

"Jack! Mother's love, Jack, wot th' hell is goin' on here? Why are ye with William... no offense, lad..." Gibbs stuttered, embarassed at his complete surprise at the pair in the longboat in Tortuga City, of all places.

"No offense taken, mate..." William shrugged, grinning at his old friend. The three friends laughed and clapped each other's backs all around.

"We've come t' get ye, ye worthless dog," Jack smiled, golden teeth and eyes glittering in the far lights of the streets next to the dock. He then uttered a statement that Gibbs had heard in the same town only three years ago, a statement that had started one of the grandest adventures of Gibbs' life.

"... I'm goin' after th' Pearl..." Jack's eyes gleamed with excitement... the same way that they had shone that night at the Faithful Bride, in what seemed to be a lifetime ago.

"We need your help, Gibbs." William smiled, "... We're going after the Pearl, and we can't let you miss out on the fun..."

Gibbs smiled broadly, and took a pull from his flask. "Aye, lads, I was wonderin' when Jack would be comin' back t' fetch me! Count me in!" he exclaimed. William had started to reach up to cast off the rope tying them to the dock, but Jack had come forward to do it for him.

"Jack, I could have done that," Will frowned, "... I wouldn't be on land..."

"No reason t' take chances, William," Jack smiled, "I tied her on, I can cast 'er off. Ye simply don't need t' take chances... we need t' take care o' ye for Izzy."

William smiled at his friend's back, as Jack pulled the knot free and pushed off. "... thank you, Jack."

Jack simply nodded to him as he clumsily turned around and wobbled to his seat. "Off we go, then..." He fluttered his hands at William. "I ain't touching those oars, William... I ain't good wif oars, these days." Jack rubbed his head and looked at William in a pitiful fashion. William shook his head, and muttered, "I am the bloody 'master of the seas', and Jack's giving me orders?" He chuckled.

"Where are we headed, gents?" Gibbs felt for his flask, only to see Jack taking a healthy swig from the flask that he had so handily pilfered from Gibbs' very person as the captain had made his way to his seat. Jack wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and gave it back to Gibbs. He leaned back lazily, and waited until Gibbs was taking a long drink of his own, before he gave his answer...

"We, Mr. Gibbs, are heading for th' Flyin' Dutchman."

Joshamee choked hard, and spit his rum out. William laughed out loud and Jack narrowed his eyes with satisfaction. "Look on the bright side, mate! Th' las' time, we only had th' Interceptor!"

Gibbs stared at both of his companions, then sighed and crossed himself... at least this time, they weren't facing Davy Jones. But he was with Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain William Turner, and anything..._anything_... could happen.


	5. Chapter 5

Mr. Cotton was at the helm of the mighty Black Pearl, looking down upon the main deck, keeping a sharp eye on all of the crewmembers that were working below him. Things were very quiet on the Pearl, these days, as they had been, in his opinion, kidnapped... taken, along with the ship, itself, against their will. Hector Barbossa had traveled to World's End with them, and had, indeed, saved Jack Sparrow from the Other Side, but he'd had his own plans for Jack. Cotton could not fault him for wanting Jack back safely, due to the fact that Jack was the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean, and the Court of the Brethren had been called, but Cotton could fault him for greedily helping himself to the Black Pearl and her crew once they had made their way back to Tortuga. It did not sit well with Cotton, nor did it sit well with the rest of the crew that had sailed to save Jack only to have him left behind, along with the ship's first mate and quartermaster, Joshamee Gibbs.

Cotton had glad that he no longer had the power of speech, as he would be quite tempted to give Barbossa a firm piece of his mind, and if he were run through for it, so be it. Captain Sparrow, for all of his eccentricities, had always been good to him, as he was to all of the crew, and was extremely likeable; Jack had even found himself becoming tolerant of Hector, and that was certainly an interesting turn. It was legend that Jack and Hector hated each other; they had become tolerant of each other, but that was the extent of it, and even though they had both proven themselves in battle for a common cause at World's End, no one would ever be able to convince either one of them that they agreed even on that point.

Little did Captain Sparrow expect that, once the ship reached Tortuga City, Barbossa would simply sneak back to the ship whilst Jack and Gibbs were partaking in a large amount of good Caribbean rum and simply cast her off, while the bulk of the crew was still on board, and had not even had shore leave, yet! This did not sit well with them, as it had been a very long, hard voyage, a voyage that had not been made any easier by the constant bickering between the two that claimed the Pearl as their own... the Pearl was rightfully Jack's, and it was Cotton's opinion that Barbossa had coveted the Pearl, not because of her beauty and soul, but because she was the fasted ship in the Caribbean, and simply because... she was Jack's.

Jack, much to his stealthy credit, had found Hector's charts and had helped himself to a very important part of one that Hector was particularly interested in... a chart that supposedly led to the storied Fountain of Youth, allegedly discovered by Ponce de Leon. Jack had desired immortality in the form of stabbing the heart of Davy Jones, but had heroically and unselfishly given up that desire to save William's ebbing life. Jack later thought hard upon that one, while drinking and talking to Cotton one night during night watch...

"... do ye think I did th' right thing, Mr. Cotton? ... I mean, even though William was spared 'is life, d'ye think it is a life worth livin' wifout his bonnie lass?" Jack worried, his hands drawing random circles in the air between them. He looked at Cotton's wise, wrinkled face and said, "Here you are, wifout th' ability t' speak, an' yet ye gets along in life missing tha' part o' ye. Do ye think tha' I did th' right thing... th' whelp will be wifout his heart... in more than one way...?" he said, quietly. He sipped at the bottle in his hand and waited for the old pirate's response.

Mr. Cotton thought hard as his captain studied him, then he did something that he rarely did. He very slowly mouthed, almost audibly, "Aye." The parrot, perched on Cotton's shoulder mimicked, "Aye, Cap'n." Jack's eyes widened, and he twiddled a dreadlock around a finger, thoughtfully.

"I heard tha' th' curse is not necessarily eternal. I don't remember where I heard it, but d'ye suppose there migh' be any merit to it?" Jack was now being sly, as he knew that Mr. Cotton had very sharp ears when he was not on the ship, and naturally was not inclined to spill any secrets with any haste. Mr. Cotton was also a master at keeping a completely expressionless face, when need be, and even Jack was not always adept at reading his thoughts... of course, these days, Jack had a hard time keeping track of many of his own thoughts.

Cotton had looked out over the wide expanse of sea before he looked at his captain out of the corner of his eyes, and smiled. "Ahhhhh.." the captain's hands spread out before him, gracefully, "... so ye have heard somethin' o' that ilk, eh? It wasn't just me little shoulder pirates whisperin' sweet nothin's in me listenin' ears!"

Jack smiled, tilting his head to one side and looking sideways at Cotton, his dark eyes dancing. "... might it have somethin' t' do wif goin' beyond th' responsibilities o' merely bein' th' Captain o' th' Dutchman an' ferryin' souls, eh? Might ye have heard tha' there may be a way out if one, p'raps, displays more than a healthy dollop o' th' virtues tha' William has comin' out o' his ears?" Jack's eyes grew wide.

Mr. Cotton grinned, and ever so slightly nodded...

Jack nodded himself, and leaned in closer to Cotton, conspiratorially, "I plan t' peruse upon this one, mate... I plan t' help William t' find a way out o' his fix. I know tha' there ain't no profit in it fer me... but sometimes a man simply has t' help 'is mate...William 'n' me have a long history o' gettin' mixed up in each other's problems, one way or t'other..." Of course, Jack had not anticipated losing his beautiful ship again, and Cotton had no idea if Jack had much of a chance for perusal. The old pirate still had a terrible feeling of guilt for leaving his captain behind, and hoped that he and Mr. Gibbs were alright.

Cotton was interrupted in his thoughts by the bawling voice of Hector Barbossa, who was doing a fine job of berating Mr. Murtogg mercilessly for his mending of some rigging. He was scaring the poor man half to death, as he and Mr. Mullroy had signed on to sail with Jack Sparrow, and they had no experience in many of the hands on tasks of sailing. Barbossa had been bullying them terribly, and the rest of the crew was starting to grumble about it. Cotton frowned down upon all of them, darkly. Yes, he certainly wished, as did the rest of the crew, that Captain Jack Sparrow was here.

Absently, he even wondered where Mr. Will was... he would have never put up with this. Mr. Will... now what put that thought into his head, he wondered. Mr. Cotton looked at his parrot, who looked back at him, and decided that something needed to be done. He was glad that he had learned the skill of writing in his days before pirating took up all of his time. He decided that he would take a moment of his free time, once his duty at the wheel for this day was over with, and write a letter. The parrot looked at him wisely, and squawked, "Dead man's chest... dead man's chest..." Cotton took that to mean, "We need to find Mr. Will, somehow... Mr. Will, and Captain Jack..."

Bootstrap Bill had left the Dutchman while Jack and William were in Tortuga City. Unbeknownst to Jack, he had a mission of his own to take on, a mission that William had requested after a long conversation with Jack over rum... a conversation about the Court of the Brethren and what had been discussed there. He was on his way to meet with someone that might have something over on Hector Barbossa, and might add to the leverage that Jack and William had already procured... the pieces were starting to fall into place... and hopefully a special dispensation would be allowed for a request from a pirate captain... the captain of the Flying Dutchman and the husband of the Pirate King...even if that request did not come from a Pirate Lord. Yes, indeed, the pieces were starting to fall into place...


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's note: **__Thank you, to all of my readers and reviewers! I am thrilled with the many, many kind words! I am so flattered! Stay with me...Things are really going to start happening in the next chapters! Pirate Cat_

Jack had learned not to question William about the way that things were done on the Dutchman. He hoped sincerely that he was not keeping the young captain from his duties, as William had worked so hard ... too hard... to rectify the wrongdoing of his predecessor. It was taking a toll on William, but it did seem to Jack... and he hoped that it was not an hallucination... that the whelp had brightened some since rescuing him from the tossing Sparrow's Revenge during the storm. It was evident that William and Bill were bent on helping Jack to get the Pearl back, and Jack was more than grateful. Jack had already had his own plans in mind to perhaps lend the whelp a hand, even prior to losing the Pearl to Barbossa, and he was more determined than ever to put things into effect... he knew, however, that what he had in mind was something that he would have to do all by his onesies. That, he reasoned, was something that he, Captain Jack Sparrow, was exceptionally good at.

Jack wondered, though, where Bill was. He had gone from the ship several days ago, and William did not seem to think that it was one bit remiss. Of course, Jack had to remind himself that he and Gibbs were, in fact, the foriegn factors at work on this vessel... he and Gibbs were the only one that was of flesh and blood, as it were... the others, even William, who looked exactly the same as he always had, save for the jagged scar upon his chest, were of a different nature than he and Gibbs were, altogether. Once in a while the fact that Gibbs and himself were mortal was lost upon him, until someone would walk through a wall, make an object move without touching it, or, as in Bill's case, simply disappear from the ship, even though they were out at open sea.

Gibbs found it to be somewhat disconcerting, Jack simply accepted it. His mind could not completely grasp what was real and what was not, at times, so things did not faze him as much as they did Gibbs. To Joshamee's credit, he seemed to have gotten past many of his superstitious ways; indeed, Jack had been brought back from the dead and Gibbs seemed to accept that, now, as though Jack had been brought back from a tavern on Tortuga. Perhaps Gibbs was most comfortable simply because the Flying Dutchman had been reborn as an absolutely beautiful, elegant vessel, and she was captained by a man that Gibbs trusted and liked... never mind that he was different, physically... it was still William. A lonely William, who was growing a bit sadder every day, and more morose... but it was William, nonetheless.

Jack watched his friend hard at work, day and night, charting, documenting, accounting for every soul left in his care, and Jack, himself, knew that he needed to apply himself to the task which he had undertaken on his own behalf, many years ago. Since he was sharing cabin space with Will, sleeping in a hammock that had been strung up (he would certainly appreciate his own bunk once he got his Pearl back), he would have to seek out a place of privacy on the ship, and get to work on his own missive... it must be done, before the plan that they had put in motion started moving quickly. Once it did, there would be no stopping it...

William was at the helm, with Jack and Gibbs at his side. It was early morning, and they had been awake all night... William could go for days without sleep, but he was not able to _never _sleep, and it seemed that this is what he wanted to do. It kept him from dreaming about Elizabeth. It kept him from missing her so much that he thought his heart, wherever it was, would break in its cold, locked chest. He could never understand what made Jones become what he did... William was not that kind of man... but he could feel himself withdraw from his old self more and more every day.

It was with the rays of the rising sun that William felt better... it was so good to have two old friends at his side, after sailing for so many months among strangers. These strangers were his crew, and he had learned each of their names and stories in a short time, but except for his father, who he loved and trusted implicitly, he had no one else on his own ship that he felt close to. Having Jack and Gibbs along with him was like a tonic to him, although Jack required a bit of watching now and then. It was a small price to pay for having the man aboard... he was always good for an amusing story, a game of liar's dice, or a good evening of drinking, if the need arose. Even the odd things that he would do, or the strange things that he would say were a very welcome and pleasant distraction. Anything to keep his mind off of Elizabeth... did she still love him... or was this burden to much to bear? Would she wait for him... or would he forever be bound to the Dutchman? His tired mind kept turning these thoughts over and over, and Jack and Gibbs were quite cognizant of that fact. They prattled on about anything that they could think of... anything to keep the young man from sinking into long silences.

On this morning, Jack and Will were making minor adjustments to their course in order to track the Pearl. The crew and captain of the Dutchman had a natural ability to locate any ship upon any body of water, but their ability was not infallible, nor was it completely accurate at times. It might be a while before they knew that they were exactly on course in following Barbossa, but William knew that they were on the right path. They were looking at an ancient chart spread out before them, when Gibbs exclaimed, "Wot in th' name o' Neptune is that???" He was looking down onto the main deck below, at a wee, tiny object that had made its way over the side of the ship and under the railing... it was moving along the deckboards with a direct course of its own charted.

The trio went down the steps for a closer look. It was a crab. A small, delicate, snow white crab. It was as iridescent as a natural pearl, with tiny droplets of water glistening like diamonds upon its shell. It was moving slowly, and with the utmost grace. It was exquisite. And it held a curious object in its tiny claws... a small rolled up paper, tied with a royal blue ribbon.

The small creature looked up with its tiny, shiny black eyes, as the three men looked down upon it in awe. Jack, especially, was completely fascinated by it, as it crept past his feet, to finally slow down and come to a complete stop in front of William. The little crab carefully placed the paper at his feet, and looked up at him for a very long moment. It then turned around, and just as slowly and gracefully, it made its way to across the deck, under the railing... and after pausing to turn and regard the trio one more time, it disappeared over the edge.

"... Mother o' God." Gibbs breathed, as he turned to the other two. William was standing stock still, staring at the rolled paper at his feet. Jack finally bent over ... almost falling over... and delicately picked it up. He stood up, swaying slightly, and picking up William's hand, he softly placed it into the young man's upturned palm. "I believe tha' this belongs t' you, mate."

William, even after all of his time on the ghost ship, was shaking. The ribbon was from Singapore - he recognized it. Jack pulled up a barrel for the young man to sit down upon, and gently guided him to it. William's hands were trembling so badly that Jack had to help him untie the ribbon from around the beautiful sheet of hand pressed stationary... as he carefully unrolled it, the scent of lavender... Elizabeth's scent... arose, and William's eyes filled with tears to read the beautiful handwriting within...

_My love, my dearest Will!_

_I am wild with joy! I found a bottle on the beach with your letter in it! Praise Calypso, I cannot tell you how happy I am! My darling, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, and am so relieved that you are alright... I love you, I miss you, I..._

William could not go on reading... he buried his face in his hands... the letter fell to his feet, and tears began to plop onto the deckboards... "She loves me... she still loves me..." he whispered, hoarsely. He could not speak, again, for a long, long while.

Gibbs carefully picked up the love letter, and slowly he rolled it up with his big, beefy hands. He tied the small piece of ribbon around it, and reverently held it in his hands, to hold it safely until the young captain could read it in privacy.

Captain Jack Sparrow had pulled up another barrel next to his friend, and had silently placed an arm over the shaking young man's shoulders, slowly and with great care... he clumsily patted William's back, as the whelp quietly cried tears of relief and happiness onto the polished deck. They sat like this for a very, very long time... he finally went to his cabin for a long while, and once he emerged, he smiled strongly at his two friends who had waited patiently out on the main deck for him.

It would be a better day for them all... and William would take the helm with a new resolve to move ahead, steadily... he felt as though he had a new strength, a new resolve... Elizabeth had finally found one of his letters..._Elizabeth still loved him_...

Late that night, the tiny snow white crab dropped, with a plop, into the waters that were churning off of the side of the Flying Dutchman. It had yet another rolled up paper in its tiny claws. It had not gone back into the sea earlier in the day, but had clung to the side of the ship, waiting to complete it's mission. The paper that it bore, like the one that it had brought, would not be destroyed by the sweeping saltwater, for the messages that were contained within each letter were far too important. They would not be damaged, as the small crab was not an ordinary creature of the sea. It, too, was immortal... and the message that it took with it to the depths were not tied with ribbon, this time. This message was tied with red string... red string that was used by Captain Jack Sparrow, to tie his dreadlocks... the captain's own plan was now put into motion... he had seized the opportune moment...

The time was almost nigh...


	7. Chapter 7

"... we're near the Pearl, Jack... I know that we are close." William was at the wheel, his eyes closed and his face serene. "We would be able to navigate better..."

"... if Gibbs an' I were not aboard..." Jack finished the sentence. Odd that he and William were doing more of that these days, finishing each other's sentences. He was listening and concentrating on thoughts of his own...being whispered by several voices in his head... not helpful voices, by any means, only annoying ones. He closed his own eyes, hard, and shook his head. He tapped a long, slender finger to the side of his head, and frowned. "Bugger... shut it... all o' ye in there..."

William was undaunted... he was used to Jack's strangeness, by now, and usually it would produce a smile from the handsome young captain. But today, he was deep within his own mind. The Pearl was near, he just did not know how close they were, and it was difficult to say which direction the dark ship was going. As far as Will could tell, Barbossa was taking her in a zigzagging course... did he suspect that he was being followed by allies of Jack's, or was it simply an all inclusive evasive action? Since the battles At World's End, pirates everywhere were feeling the pressure. They all knew that the golden age of piracy was ending, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to stay out of the way of the authorities.

Mr. Gibbs was watching both of his friends... William was the very picture of intensity, his face arranged in a quiet composition of deep listening. Jack, on the other hand, was becoming more and more agitated, as he was fighting something inside of his own head. He kept shaking his head so hard that the beads would clatter together, a not altogether unpleasant sound, but a bit distressing knowing that it was because Jack was having yet another troubling hallucination. Finally, Gibbs reached out and put his large hands on Jack's bony shoulders, to help him shake whatever it was that was bothering him. Jack jumped slightly, and opened his kohl lined eyes to stare straight into Joshamee's worried face.

"... I want a lime. Do we have any limes, Mr. Gibbs?" Jack frowned deeply. "an' peanuts, too...I want peanuts..."

"No, Jack," Gibbs said, gently.

"No, Jack, we have no limes, or peanuts. You will just have to wait until after we take the Pearl," William answered, his eyes still closed.

Jack suddenly shook violently all over, then rubbed his eyes and looked at his companions. "Wot th' hell was I just sayin'? Damn, I hate when I do that!" He scowled and rubbed his eyes, again, flustered. "Ye'd think I was bloody mad..." he muttered.

Absently, he looked at William only to notice something different about him... a single braid on the left side of his face, resting near the golden earring in his ear ... a single, thin braid, just like Jack would wear, tied off at the bottom with a small length of royal blue ribbon... ribbon from Singapore... Elizabeth's ribbon. Jack smiled, ever so slightly.

Their reverie was interrupted by the sound of an object dropping rather lightly to the deck, directly in front of them, and down in front of the door to William's cabin. Jack turned to his companions and exclaimed, "Bloody messages delivered by a crab, now a rolled up object droppin' outta th' sky! Wot ever happened t' old fashioned bottles???"

William shot him a look, and Jack realized what he'd said, "Sorry, mate!"

Indeed, it was another piece of paper, this time tied with a bit of raw string. It was well stained, as if it had been used for another purpose and had been written upon in great haste, with whatever was at hand. The trio went down to the main deck, and William picked up the object. He looked at his two companions, and proceeded to untie the string and unroll the message. The handwriting was neat and concise, the spelling and grammar was perfect. He began to read it aloud.

_I am in desperate hope that this letter will find it's way to Captain William Turner, of the spectral ship The Flying Dutchman, or Captain Jack Sparrow, formerly (and presently, to my mind) of the greatest pirate ship what has ever sailed, The Black Pearl. We have been boarded and taken, against our will, by Captain Hector Barbossa, and the members of additional crew that he secretly hired on the Caribbean Island of Tortuga. Our rightful Captain, Jack Sparrow, and our First Mate, Joshamee Gibbs, were left behind on aforementioned island, and the Black Pearl set sail for the Spanish Territories. _

_It was then realized by Captain (and I use that term quite loosely) Barbossa that the centre of his chart which would guide us to the treasure that we sought was missing. We have since been plundering as best as we can, hampered by the Royal Navy due to the fact that Captain Barbossa does not use the discretion that Captain Sparrow might in his choices of ships that we raid... there have been British ships among them, and we have had to use every ounce of speed that we can coax out of The Black Pearl's sails and sweeps. I will be the first to state that Hector Barbossa does not have the ability to make the Pearl fly over the waters that Captain Sparrow has, and since the ship is no longer cursed by Aztec gold, Barbossa does not have an advantage. The Pearl only responds so favorably to Captain Sparrow's hands, and his words to her._

_We have been traveling across the Atlantic with great haste, in order to escape those who wish to do us harm, and are soon to be around the southern tip of Africa... toward the large island of Madagascar. Barbossa has heard of a large shipment of rubies that is about to depart for India, and has it on his mind that we should help ourselves, but I am of a mind that a mutiny will take place soon, due to many members of Captain Sparrow's loyal crew receiving the rough side of Captain Barbossa's tongue. I do not know how much more of his ungentlemanly treatment we are willing to tolerate, and even if we are outnumbered, we are almost ready to take arms and defend our ship and our honor as pirates. _

_Barbossa is no longer immortal... he is a man, just as we are, and we... that is, Mr. Pintel, Mr. Ragetti, Marty, Mr. Murtogg, Mr. Mullroy and myself... are of the opinion that if we can survive the Kraken and the battles At World's End, we can take back our ship and go back to find our rightful Captain, Jack Sparrow, and Joshamee Gibbs, higher powers willing. Captain Barbossa is a good pirate, to be sure, but Captain Sparrow is the most intelligent and benevolent captain that I have had the pleasure to serve under, in spite of his odd behaviour. He is the best pirate on the Seven Seas, a Pirate Lord, and does not deem it necessary to handle his crew roughly. _

_I pray that this message reaches Captain Turner or Captain Sparrow, as I wish to inform either or both of them of our dilemma. If we cannot enlist in the aid of either captain, we shall have to take our chances on our own. I shall send out my trusted messenger for a few hours each day, in hopes that someone might help us._

_I remain, respectfully, _

_John Cotton_

Gibbs' mouth was open in shock at this latest, strange missive that had seemingly dropped from nowhere. He looked at Jack, and his captain was seething. His smooth, dark face was passive and expressionless, save for a twitch in his mustache, but his eyes had become black as furious ink, and flashed as though they were energized with bolts of lightning. He took the missive from William's hands, and reread it... not once, but twice. He finally looked up at William, who had patiently waited for Jack's reaction... the pirate captain stared into William's eyes for a moment, then his eyes glittered with excitement, and his face softened into a sly grin. "Methinks tha' this is fortuitous information, indeed, William."

"Aye, Jack, I agree," William tilted his head much as Jack would, and also grinned. "We are closer than we thought, and hot on their trail. A 'trusted messenger', indeed!" And the three simaltaneously looked above their heads, into the rigging. Sitting on a yardarm, with his beautiful head cocked at an angle in order to observe the three men below, was a blue macaw... the parrot blinked at them, then flapped his wings and squawked, "_Really bad eggs!!!"_

The trio grinned at each other, then formed fists, and put them together in the center of their circle of comradeship. William growled, "Take what ye can..."

Gibbs snarled, with a gleeful smile,"...give nothin' back..."

...and Jack answered in a low voice, his eyes half closed and shining with anticipation, "... we shall take the Black Pearl!"


	8. Chapter 8

Mr. Cotton knew that something was going to happen... a proverbial change in the wind ... his messenger had returned to the ship without the letter that Cotton had secured to him. Mr. Cotton had hoped that providence... or at least some plain luck... would smile upon him and the beleaguered crew of the Black Pearl, and soon. He never let on once what he was about, and did not know how help was going to be forthcoming, but he simply knew that it was to be... he felt it in his old bones, and on this day, the wind was talking to the dark masts and rigging of the Black Pearl in great and abundant whispers. The ship was anchored just off of a deserted stretch of the coast of Madagascar, so that they could lay in wait and plan their next move against the gemstone shipments that were to disembark from the ruby mines.

Mr. Pintel approached Mr. Cotton as he was coiling some rope, and there was an interesting look in the other pirate's yellowed eyes. Pintel also suspected something was amiss, and he and Cotton both looked up at the crow's nest, to Marty, who had pulled lookout duty for the morning. Captain Barbossa was pouring over his charts at a table that he had brought up to the main deck, charting the quickest escape route once the ruby shipment had been taken. Marty was watching something through his spyglass... something that Cotton and Pintel could tell was out of the ordinary.

The small pirate momentarily looked down from his perch, and his eyes met Cotton's and Pintel's. It was at this point that Mr. Pintel looked over at Mr. Ragetti, who was swabbing the main deck on his hands and knees. Due to his wooden eye, it was always difficult to tell in what direction he was actually looking, but Pintel slowly nodded his head up toward Marty, and his nephew Ragetti could also see that Marty was watching something, but not sounding an alarm.

Without so much as any kind of inkling of what was going to happen, if anything, Mr. Ragetti took it upon himself to distract the crewmembers hired on by Barbossa by giving his wooden eye a toss and enlisting their aid in chasing it...The original members of Jack Sparrow's crew could now _see _what something was in the air...it was all that they could all do to remain quiet as two familiar figures silently climbed up over the edge of the stern.

Captain Barbossa was concentrating on his labors over his charts, and was utterly taken by surprise when little Jack the Monkey squeeked with alarm and pointed behind him. Hector looked up, then turned around swiftly to find himself staring at the smiling faces of Captain Jack Sparrow and Joshamee Gibbs.

"Greetings, Barbossa!" Jack crowed from the top of the railing. He was hanging onto a rope that was tied off, and swaying forward almost to the point of hanging horizontally... he would have looked utterly ridiculous except for the fact that Barbossa found himself staring straight into the barrel of Jack's pistol. Mr. Gibbs was plainly out of breath, but was grinning at Hector as he held a bead on two of Barbossa's new crewmen with a gun in each hand.

"Well, Jaaaack! Isn't this a surprise?" Hector replied, annoyance plain in his voice. He smiled, grimly, as he tried valiantly to hide his shock that Jack and Gibbs had suddenly turned up on the east coast of Africa. "Soooo.. how did ye manage t' get off o' that island hellhole of Tortuga and find yer way halfway back aroun' th' world without a _ship_?" he chortled, fairly flaunting his possession of that which Jack prized above everything. Jack merely hopped down from the railing lightly, trinkets in his hair jingling, as crewmembers slowly gathered around to watch the goings on.

"... oh, I have me ways o' gettin' around these days... I should like t' thank ye fo' leaving me little dinghy tied up t' th' dock in Tortuga City... if ye look down...there," Jack pointed with his left hand, down over the edge of the stern, just past the conveniently strung rigging, just right for climbing, "...ye'll see her! Th' Sparrow's Revenge! I made th' flag meself! " he exclaimed, proudly.

"The _what_??? 'Th' Sparrow's Revenge'???" Barbossa almost laughed out loud at the absurdity that was nearly flaunted by this fool who was swaying before him .

"Why does everyone react like that, I wonder? Aye, mate!" Jack exclaimed, brightly. "I thought tha' th' name was appropriate, all things considered... although I have been convinced by me mates tha' I should really take exception this time, an' p'raps bargain wif ye in order t' get me ship back rather than bein' vengeful. I don't _want _t' bargain wif ye, but I have been advised tha' it might be th' wise an' noble thing t' do." Jack nodded, and puncuated the statement with a raised finger.

"Since when, Jack, have ye done anythin' _wise_?" Barbossa smiled, his bad teeth gleaming in their disgusting glory as much as Jack's gold teeth caught attention for their shine, "Ye aren't known fer yer wise decisions over th' years... tha's why I have _my _ship, an' _you _have a dinghy!"

"Ahhhh," Jack said, softly, his eyes sparkling, as he swaggered closer to Hector, waving one hand lightly in the air, as he held his pistol steadily upon Barbossa,"... I have a dinghy, an' I also have come here wif faith an' good will t' try to strike an accord wif ye..."

"An accord??? Wot th' bloody hell could ye offer tha' I could possibly be interested in?" Barbossa's patience with this buffoon was growing thin.

"Well, mate, let's just repeat tha' I have 'good will'..."

Suddenly, the waters off of the starboard side of the ship parted... waves sprayed silver crests high into the air as the bow of the elegant Flying Dutchman sprang from the depths like an avenging angel. The men on the deck of the Pearl, save for Barbossa, Jack and Gibbs, sprang for cover. The ghost ship bounced several times as though it were made of India rubber, and as it settled down on the water's surface, the members of the Pearl's crew came out carefully from their hiding places. Those who had never seen the Dutchman before took one look, and, for the most part, immediately took cover again. The members of Jack's crew gaped, then their faces split into grins when they saw who was standing at the wheel, tall and strong.

Gibbs fairly laughed, as Jack leaned forward into Barbossa's shocked face, cocked his head and said, "Good _Will_... savvy?"

In a move that was just as shocking to those who viewed the scene as a ghost ship suddenly bursting forth from the sea, there was a flash of light, and suddenly Captain William Turner the Second was standing next to Jack, his hardened brown eyes boring straight into Barbossa's. He also leaned forward until his face was inches from Hector's, and quietly said, "We request the right of parlay...no, let me rephrase that... we _demand _the right of parlay!"

Jack the Monkey squeeked, and took off to hide in the rigging...

Barbossa stared down William with cold eyes. "An' what if I deny th' right of parlay?"

"I would recommend that ye consider their demand..." came a growling, deep voice from behind them. From the forward bow of the ship came two figures, one, the tall and imposing Bootstrap Bill Turner, who had his hand resting lightly upon the hilt of his sword. Ragetti about fainted at the sight of him... come back to haunt them, he was sure. Bill only frowned at Pintel and Ragetti as he approached with his companion.

The figure who was him came forward slowly, with a slight swaying to his walk, dark dreadlocks laced with trinkets, topped off with a broadbrimmed brown hat embellished with long feathers. And under the brim of that hat was a heavily creased, mustached face, with deepset black eyes that were burning like hot coals. Under his strong arm was a huge, leatherbound book, inscribed on the cover with the words, "Pirate Codex". Jack stared in complete and utter disbelief, as William leaned over and whispered, "Surprise."

Jack turned his astonished eyes to Bill, who nodded slowly to him, then back to Bill's companion, who had approached Barbossa and was leaning into his face, just as Jack and William had.

"I would recommend the ye consider their demand of parlay..." the voice repeated, darkly, with a faint and threatening Irish brogue, "I am also here t' advise ye that _you_, Hector Barbossa, have committed some very serious violations of laws that you swore t' uphold... _you have violated the Pirate's Code_..."


	9. Chapter 9

Hector Barbossa stood his ground. "And what laws o' th' code have I broken? I have done nothing o' th' kind, Captain Teague! An' wot are ye doin' here with the Code, as it is? Without a request from a Pirate Lord to th' Keeper o' th' Code..."

Jack quietly stepped behind William, as Teague slammed the Codex down upon the table, on top of the numerous charts that were spread out upon it. He leaned straight into Barbossa's face and was nearly nose to nose with him... this was enough to even make Hector bite his tongue. "I have made exception by being called by a power higher than a Pirate Lord... I have been called by the Captain of the Flying Dutchman, who is married to the _Pirate King_, or have ye forgotten tha' ye married them, yourself, ye fool?" he thundered. It was enough to make every being standing on the deck quake in their very shoes, as the air was burning with tension.

"I also know that ye be claimin' tha' th' Code is not a set of rules... that they are merely..._guidelines_..." Teague fairly spat the word out, "... do you know tha' you have been a burr under me bandana for _quite some time_? As a member of th' Brethren of the Coast, ye are t' uphold the Code, as it was _written_, not as ye see bloody _FIT _for yer own benefit...not only are ye callin' th' code mere _guidelines_... " once again the word was as if it were shot from a cannon, "...ye commandeered a ship tha' does not belong t' ye, against the Code. It belongs, lock, stock and barrel to my _son_!"

He pointed straight at Jack, whose eyes were like dark moons. He stepped out from behind William, and stared straight at Captain Teague, as a murmer of surprise rippled through the crew... Captain Teague, the Keeper of the Code and one of the most powerful men in piracy, was the father of Captain Jack Sparrow?

Teague thundered, "This ship was paid for by Captain Jack Sparrow, paid for with his _blood _and _sweat_... with his very _life, _damn near _twice_!"

Everyone stared for a moment... this man had the same hair, albeit Jack had three times more, and they had the same swaying walk, and they both had the faintest of Irish brogues in their voices, but the resemblance abruptly ended there. Teague was stocky and well built, Jack was slender and almost delicate looking. Teague's face was craggy and weather worn, Jack's was smooth with fine, high cheekbones. Teague's eyes were coal black and burned like embers, Jack's were golden brown and sparkling like water. Teague was of sallow and jaundiced complexion, while Jack was naturally dark and richly tanned. Teague's voice was a growling snarl, while Jack's was a husky slur. Many that bore witness to this scene concluded that Jack must have favored his mother.

"Jack Sparrow is your _son_?" Barbossa was truly shocked, and he thought, at his age, that he was well past being shocked by anything.

"Jack is my son... I have not been a father t' him, but he _is _my son, an' this is his ship... she belongs t' no other... ye have no entitlement t' it by th' law set down by the Code!" Captain Teague's staccato words were like gunshots.

"He loses th' ship quite regularly, your worship, " Barbossa began to regain his composure, "... it is good clean piracy t' commandeer a ship if a man too trustin' of others t' keep it under his captaincy!"

"Trust ain't got a damn thing t' do with it," Teague hissed, "... what has everything t' do with it is that ye violated th' code in order t' commandeer this ship - a code tha' was written t' keep some honor amongst thieves and scalawags. Wot honor have ye, Barbossa?"

"What th' hell do ye mean?" Barbossa finally had enough. "Show me wot th' hell I did tha' was breakin' the bloody code by takin' MY ship from your baby boy!" Jack's eyes clouded over, momentarily, at that sarcastic reference.

Teague opened the book with a fierce slam, dust flying up and all around it's ancient pages. He turned his glowing, coal black eyes to Barbossa's cold blue ones, and pointed to the very first article written upon the very first page of the volume, and then he looked around at all present. " The first draft of the Pirate Code was laid out by Captain Bartholomew Roberts, to be added to by Captain Henry Morgan and ratified by the first Court of the Brethren of the Coast... the very first article ever written in this book is, to wit, '_Every man has a vote in affairs of moment'_."

Teague, once again, turned around to the members of the crew, and asked, "What one among ye that was with Captain Jack Sparrow's crew was allowed t' vote as t' givin' Hector Barbossa th' authority t' commandeer th' Black Pearl in Tortuga?" His dark gaze fell upon every crewmember, and he glanced only momentarily at a hard eyed William, then at his own son. Jack gazed back at him, steadily, his eyes still filled with wonder.

It was Angus Murtogg that spoke up. He took a deep breath and said, "Beggin' your pardon, Captain, but none of us was consulted about the decision, sir. We were taken against our will... _sir_..." He tried desperately to keep Captain Teague from seeing his knees knocking together. "We never was offered a chance t' vote..."

"... an' we woulda voted against it, sir!" Marty exclaimed. "Barbossa violated de code!" Jack grinned at William, whose subtly nudged him back in amusement.

Barbossa's crewmembers started looking at each other nervously, not knowing what was going to befall them... it seemed that things were quickly turning out of their favor, and they stared in complete awe at William, Jack and Teague.

"Ye mutinous dogs!" Barbossa snarled, "I ought t'..."

"Hector!" William finally spoke up. "They are not about to mutiny, even though they should have if it weren't for the fact that they are men of honor. It has been determined that _you _violated the Pirate Code by commandeering the Black Pearl without taking a vote from the existing crew. You should have let them off on the dock and taken her legally, " Jack turned to stare at him indignantly, "... but you chose to be greedy and do as you pleased. You are lucky that we wish to _bargain _with you to get th' Black Pearl back... will you _listen_?" It was plain that William was beginning to lose his patience with Hector.

Jack stepped forward and leaned toward Barbossa, his hands hovering between them. "I should really consider it, mate... ye're really makin' it harder on yerself, here, wif yer stubbornness... ye haven't yet seen wot we brought wif us t' offer ye!" he grinned, waving his arms out, grandly.

Hector finally looked at all of them, rolled his eyes, and said, "Alright! Wot th' hell do ye have t' offer t' me tha' could possibly compare t' th' Black Pearl?"

After the slightest of hesitation, William stepped up onto the railing, and then turned back to them. His own eyes glowed grimly, the long tails of his bandana draped over his shoulder, as the wind rippled his dark shirt open, exposing the large, jagged scar over his chest... a scar where his very living heart had been cut out by his own father... and many of the crewmembers shuddered, as Jack and Bill looked on at the young captain with pride. "What do we have to offer to you, Barbossa? Everyone brace yourselves, and I shall bring it forth..."

With that, William turned to the sea, and spread his arms wide... Jack knew what was coming, and he braced himself hard...


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's note: **This chapter is a long one, but I couldn't break it up without stopping the flow, so enjoy a longer read! Pirate Cat flutters to the floor in exhaustion_

As William spread his arms out wide and closed his eyes, the sea before him split open violently, and raised upward with the bowsprit of a massive ship shooting straight skyward, as if trying to take flight. The rest of the vessel practically took to the air, as it climbed a hundred feet above the surface of the wildly churning waves.

The ship came down with a deafening crash, landing on it's keel with the sound of a hundred cannons all being fired at once. The Black Pearl raised up and rocked wildly with the wash from the resurrected vessel, and the Pearl shook and swayed as if she was a paper boat in a rainbarrel. All that were on her decks either fell flat on their backs, or held on for what they thought were their very lives, as a wave of clear sea water washed up over the side of the ship.

As the reborn ship settled into the water, William merely turned, and said to Barbossa, simply, "Our offering." And he stepped down from the railing and resumed his place next to a plainly delighted Jack Sparrow.

Once Hector had recovered his senses, he lumbered over to the railing and stared in utter shock. He was joined by an unfazed Bootstrap Bill, Teague, Jack and William; the others gathered around them and murmered in awe. The ship was very familiar... she was no longer painted in the bright colors that she had been prior to being blown to pieces and sent to the depths... her garish paint was gone, and she was the color of golden oak, with polished gold gilding, and gleaming varnished decks. Her sails were cream coloured, and her numerous cannons, in their open ports, were dark gray iron. She was flying the skull and crossed sabers as her colours... Barbossa's colours had been hoisted. She was beautiful... and she had a history...

"... Mother o' God... " murmered Barbossa, "... the Endeavor... this is bloody _Cutler Beckett's ship_!"

"Poetic justice," Jack smiled, grimly.

"Haunted, she is..." Ragetti breathed in complete awe.

Jack turned and stared at the one eyed pirate...apparently Ragetti did not remember the history of the Black Pearl, and how she, too, could have been haunted, thanks to the greed of Cutler Beckett.

William spoke up, "Aye, Barbossa, she was the pride of the East India Trading Company... she _was _the Endeavor."

Barbossa turned to look at him, "Ye brought this ship up from th' depths on Jack Sparrow's behalf? What's in it fer you, Captain Turner?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow's friendship and loyalty. He and I are making you this offer in good faith... this ship for the Pearl... it is more than fair, as she is a fine ship."

Barbossa looked at Jack, and snarled, "Ye've hardly said a word, Jack... it is not like ye t' be so quiet-like... wot would ye say if I said, no, I want th' Pearl an' ain't interested in your offer, hm?"

Jack knew that he was being tested, and he simply cocked his head to one side and said, "Then I would legally ask, under th' sanctions set forth by th' Keeper o' th' Code," a flourishing sweep of a bejeweled hand brought a nod from Captain Teague, "... for a vote amongst th' crew, who would no doubt vote for me as th' Captain o' th' Pearl, correct, gents?" Jack gracefully swiveled his entire body around, and regarded his crew, expectantly.

Everyone stared at him, until Gibbs shouted "Aye!" and jabbed Pintel in the ribs. "Aye! I'd vote fer a true gentleman o' fortune, t' be sure!" Shouts of "Aye!" went all around Jack's old crew, and Mr. Cotton's parrot squawked, "Wind in th' sails!"

"... as I was sayin'" Jack smiled with great satisfaction, as the corners of Teague's eyes crinkled in a subtle smile, "If ye said no, I would take me a vote, an' once th' vote gives me th' Pearl back, I would find a godforsaken spit of land and simply bloody _maroon _you an' yer scurvy crewmen!" A nervous muttering went up among Barbossa's crew... they were now, more than ever, not in high appreciation of the situation that Hector had gotten them into.

Barbossa had not expected this answer. Jack the Monkey had climbed back down to take in the proceedings, and he screeched loudly and pointed to the reborn ship floating serenely next to the Pearl. Hector thoughtfully stroked his beard. Jack the Monkey screeched, and pointed, again, shiny little black eyes wide.

"There are other conditions, Barbossa," Bill finally spoke up. He smiled coldly, as Hector looked him up and down. "Aye, Barbossa," Bill pointedly did not use the title of captain, "Remember me, mate? Tied me to a cannon by me bootstraps?"

Hector's eyes widened, and he took a step back, and muttered, "Yer lookin' good, Bill..."

"The other conditions would be, if ye should decide t' take th' reborn ship, are tha' ye follow th' Pirate's Code to perfection..." Bill continued.

"... an' ye leave my son an' his ship _alone_." Teague growled.

Barbossa looked up at the tall, dark masts of the Black Pearl, then over to the gleaming oak of Cutler Beckett's flag ship that was taken down by the Black Pearl and the Flying Dutchman at the Battle of the Maelstrom. A glorious ship... Beckett's tomb, but a glorious ship, nonetheless, in Hector Barbossa's glittering eyes. She was fast and she was a beauty. He walked up and down the deck of the Pearl, taking in the fine lines and the numerous sails of the ship on full display... he had seen the ship at sea, and knew that she was one of the finest... the same class of ship as the Royal Navy's Dauntless. He, Captain Hector Barbossa, could be sailing the flag ship of the fleet of the East India Trading Company as a pirate ship. Truly a sight to behold. He had to grudgingly agree with Sparrow... it was poetic justice.

"The choice is yours, Barbossa... " William said, "What say you?"

Hector turned to Jack and William, back at the offered ship, and finally smirked, "Agreed!" He put out his hand to shake upon the accord, and hands were shaken all around.

Jack could hardly contain himself. He grinned and said, "Well! I am glad tha' we could come t' an accord, _Hector_!"

Barbossa turned to his fine ship and chuckled, "I wonder what I should name her? The Endeavor is no name for a pirate vessel as grand as she is!"

William looked at the others, then spoke, tapping his forehead as though he had forgotten something, "Oh, that was _another_ condition that we failed to mention... she has been rechristened, already," he said, lightly.

Barbossa spun around to stare at him, "Ye can't add another condition! I can name me own ship!"

"... _I _named th' Pearl, an' ye didn't rename _her_, ye dodderin' ol' twit..." Jack muttered.

William smiled and said, "I'm afraid you cannot rechristen her, Barbossa. This ship was resurrected by me, in honor of a hand more powerful than any of ours..." He turned to the ship and, with a mere wave of his hand, churned the waters about the ship's starboard side in order to bring her bow about, for all to take a closer look. Jack wished that he could do that.

It was then that they all finally looked at the dark walnut figurehead under the bowsprit. Exquisitely carved, it was the figure of a beautiful woman, very much like the flying angel at the bow of the Black Pearl... but with long flowing hair, instead of wings... long flowing hair, that was done in dreadlocks... she had a heart shaped locket at her neck... tribal markings carved into her lovely face... and rather than a flying sparrow in her hand, her hand was simply outstretched, and empty, with its palm up. Jack leaned forward and studied Barbossa's shocked face. A gasp went up from Jack's crewmembers as they took in the sight and recognized the face of the figure... a very lifelike rendering, indeed...

"Just as she can extend her hand in benevolence t' ye," Jack said, softly, "... she can also smite ye an' send ye t' th' briny deep wif a flick of 'er finger... th' name o' yer new ship, Barbossa, is _Calypso's Hand_... and I must warn ye, mate, ye had better adhere t' th' accord we just made... _yer bein' watched_... savvy?"

"You agreed, Barbossa," William said, in a low, threatening voice,"... I would not advise breaking an accord made in good faith between members of the Brethren in full, plain sight of the Keeper of the Code."

Barbossa looked over at a glowering Captain Teague, then at William and Jack. He looked over at the fine, but strangely disturbing ship that was now his, then drew himself up to his full height and silently grunted with a nod. His crew looked at each other, uneasily.

And they all stared in silence at the ebony eyes of the carved figurehead of the Calypso's Hand... it was, indeed, like those black eyes were watching them...

...Barbossa had agreed, Jack mused to himself, in a manner that Jack was not expecting; the Black Pearl was his, once again. As he watched Barbossa and his crewmembers row to the Calypso's Hand in the longboat, he almost felt as though it was too easy. It vexed him a bit. But Barbossa had also agreed to an accord almost too easily at Isle de Muerte in the treasure cave, and it enabled Jack to bring yet another plan to fruition, with William's help. This time, however, he had a very staunch and strong group of allies, and William was the best ally that a man could have, whether he was mortal or otherworldly, Jack decided it didn't matter. William Turner the Second was a good friend, an honorable man, and one hell of a good pirate, once it was all said and done.

He looked down from the quarterdeck, his thin hands curled around the smooth wooden handles of the wheel, and watched in silence as his father picked up the Pirate Codex and turned to leave, without even so much as saying goodbye to him. He watched Jonathan Teague's back as he was nearly to the bow, where he had climbed aboard stealthily, with Bill, from the long boat that was tied up below. Teague's own ship, The Star of Madagascar, was now coming into sight around the edge of the shoreline where it had been hidden, in order to pick him up... the Star was the very ship upon which Jack had been born, off of the coast of colonial India during a voyage back from the Far East. He tried with all of his heart to force his mouth to open and say something... it was a fine time for his mouth to disconnect from the rest of his functioning face.

Bill and William had joined him at the wheel, and they both watched as Jack's hands gripped the handles tighter and tighter, as he leaned up against the wheel with his body as if to become a part of the wheel, itself. He was swallowing hard... and yet he could not speak.

Finally, as Mr. Pintel offered to row Captain Jonathan Teague to his waiting ship, Teague turned, and looked at his son and his friends upon the quarterdeck of the beautiful ship that Jack loved more than anything else in the world, and, as he had after the Battle of the Maelstrom, he removed his hat in salute... and nodded, smiling slightly. Jack removed his hat, smiled sadly, and nodded back. In a heartbeat, Teague was over the side, and gone...

Bill looked at Jack with compassion... Jack, who was trying so hard to maintain his composure. It was all starting to hit him, and his usual cheerfulness was beginning to falter. Bill could tell that the terrible memories of the recent past were all starting to bubble back up inside of Jack's head...the Kraken... the dreadful Locker that had hammered terrible cracks into Jack's mind... William's and Elizabeth's fate... the loss of his ship. He was in need of comforting words. Jack was beginning to tremble a little, and Bill finally broke the silence.

Bill gently looked Jack in the eye, and said, "When I came to his home port, here in Madagascar, to tell him of Barbossa's treachery and our plan to parlay, Captain Teague never hesitated for a moment to come to your side, Jack. Jonathan cares about ye, son, he just does not know how to love ye... he couldn't give ye what ye needed when ye were a wee whelp... so rather than give ye only a little o' what ye needed, he thought it better t' give ye nothin' at all an' hope that ye found mates tha' could help ye make it... ye sometimes used bad judgment, lad, but ye know tha' ye have yer mates... it may not be th' same as havin' yer father, but it ain't so bad..." Bill smiled at his friend. Jack fought the lump that was forming in his throat.

Bill and William both put an arm around Jack's shoulders as they watched the longboat row into the distance... William patted his back, just as Jack had when William was so completely overwhelmed upon receiving Elizabeth's letter. William watched Jack closely, as he hoped that it would give him as much strength as he, himself, had drawn from one such simple gesture.

Jack had never felt this way before. He felt as though his family was standing next to him with their arms around his shoulders, more than rowing away from him... yet, he swallowed hard, and choked out, "Didja hear wot he said 'bout me? He called me 'is son, right in front o' everyone... he has never called me 'son'... ever... just 'boy'... after all o' these years, I'm finally 'is son..." He laid his head down on the wheel of his beautiful Pearl, and sighed, heavily, "... I'm good wif that... s'more than I ever had before..." he smiled, ever so slightly. Jack was feeling, after all of this time, that perhaps, just maybe, his father was a bit proud of him. Proud enough to finally acknowledge to the world that he had a son. He took a deep breath, and tried hard to draw himself up and be a captain in front of his celebrating crew.

Bill and William were silent... as they watched Jonathan Teague's ship drop sail, and disappear... out of Jack's life, again.

For a very long time, Jack caressed the wheel of his beloved ship and closed his eyes, and his crew pulled out the rum. Bill and William finally joined the merriment, and brought rum up to the quarterdeck so that they could drink a round with the rightful captain of the Black Pearl... Jack was tired, but he knew that he had to keep going strongly, for the lad... his best friend... who was laughing and raising a toast at his side. Jack was hoping, now, that his own part of the plans that had been made would now be in motion...and perhaps, just perhaps, he could finally feel that all of the horrible things that had happened to all of them, since that fateful day that he sailed into Port Royal Bay on a sinking boat, would be forever changed...

Hopefully, he would soon have word of some kind... and a chance to make things right... the tiny little pirates on his shoulders were whispering to him that he would soon have his chance to make things up to William Turner the Second, and his bonny lass, who waited for him on an island in the China Sea...

He hoped that word would come soon... _very soon_... Jack Sparrow narrowed his eyes, and for strength, took a good long pull from a bottle of rum.

_to be continued... more chapters coming up...stay tuned!!! _


	11. Chapter 11

Barbossa had taken out with his few crewmen, anxious to test the legs of his new vessel, and equally anxious to put as much distance as he could between himself, Jack Sparrow, William Turner and Captain Jonathan Teague. There was no ship that was worth tangling with the likes of them together, and Hector felt that he had the better end of the bargain, even if it meant that he would have to adhere to "guidelines" that he held to be folly... for now, he cackled.

He would still plan to lie in wait for the ruby shipments out of Madagascar, but needed to recruit more crew in the pirate friendly ports of the western coast of Africa. Barbossa knew that he would cross paths with Jack Sparrow again, someday, but Hector truly hoped that it was not soon, and definitely not in league with Sparrow's powerful colleagues. He would, for now, enjoy the beauty of his new ship and the power that gave him... if he could only overcome the feelings, as that fool Sparrow had taken pains to point out, of being... _watched_. "Bilgewater," Barbossa thought to himself... as he nervously turned around at a noise, only to see nothing there. "...bilgewater...I'm becoming as mental as Jack Sparrow..."

But as he observed Jack the Monkey staring nervously at the carved figurehead of Calypso, with her shining ebony eyes, from his perch on the bowsprit, Hector would never be too sure...

Evening was falling off of the coast of Madagascar, and the Pearl and the Dutchman would both remain anchored for the night. Jack and Bill convinced William to sit and watch the sea with them...Jack and Bill watched William in the fading rays of the sinking sun... the crew of the Black Pearl was still making merry after their victory over the treacherous Barbossa, joined by the crewmembers of the Flying Dutchman. Comraderie was running high upon this evening. It was a marvelous bit of pirate trickery by Mr. Cotton and his parrot to find a way to contact and secure aid from Captain Turner, and he was getting gloriously snockered with the drinks that were coming at him from all of his mates. Even once the noise settled down, and Bill and William sat with a mentally exhausted Jack Sparrow on the deck outside of his cabin, Jack could not help but notice that William was brooding a bit. Jack, even in his tired state, knew what the problem was.

In planning to raise the Endeavor and take the Black Pearl back as Jack's ship.. Jack's home... William's mind was directed toward something other than his own fate, for a while. He was able to put aside his duties to help his friend, as he had worked so diligently in the months that he had been the ferryman of souls to rectify the horrible backlog of those still waiting for assistance. Problems had been dealt with, quotas had been filled, directions had been given, log books updated, new crew members had been recruited from the ranks of the souls who qualified, and existing crewmembers had been dismissed as to whatever their wishes had been, once their old oath to the Dutchman had been lifted.

William had dealt with so much, and had learned it all on his own, with help from his father. He had become the finest Captain that the Dutchman had ever known... he had become obsessed with his duties. It kept his mind off of missing and loving Elizabeth so much. Now that they were sitting on the deck of the Pearl, his mind returned... to her. Now that the evening was settling over them in velvety darkness, William became quiet and brooding. His mind went back over the one, lone letter that he had received from her... the letter that had given him new strength and new resolve to make right the wrongdoing of Hector Barbossa.

William sipped his rum and laid his head back against the outside wall of Jack's cabin, and it all came back to him, and he rubbed his chest where his heart should have been...

_My love, my dearest Will!_

_I miss you so much. I love you so much. At first I thought I would not make it through another day, but then the day would pass and I would face another one... each day that passes is one day closer to feeling your arms around me. My love, my darling, I can hardly wait to feel your fingers running through my hair. I can hardly to taste your kisses._

_I laugh at myself to think that we were about to go through with the most absurdly ostentatious wedding in the history of Port Royal, and perhaps we have Cutler Beckett to thank for interrupting it. We have grown so much, Will, and even though we were married by Hector Barbossa, we are __still married__, and I am so gloriously happy to be your wife! Please tell Jack that I wished it was him that had pronounced us husband and wife, as it would have held more meaning to us, now, and he would have added more flourish to it, even if Barbossa did a fine job, considering the circumstances at the time! It is not important how or where we were married, it is important that we are married... just as if it were in the largest church in the world! _

_I felt terrible for Jack once I read in your letter that he had lost the Black Pearl to Barbossa, again. Deep in our hearts, we always knew that Captain Barbossa was not to be trusted in most respects, but he did prove to be a fine warrior. I wish that I were there to take up my sword and help Jack get the Black Pearl back... I almost consider the Pearl my home, more than anyplace, since my father's murder at the order of Cutler Beckett... and I would be happy to live on the Pearl, forever, if __you__ were there with me, my love. I would sail to the ends of the earth and sky with you! You said that Jack was having a worse time of things. Is he still talking to himself and seeing things that aren't there? The poor dear. Please tell him hello for me, as well as your father. Please give my love to both of them. _

_My dearest Will, I must close, and find a bottle to place this letter into. My hands are shaking so right now, that I can barely hold my quill. I am going to send this to you as quickly as my feet can carry me back to the sea... from there I plan to hunt all over the village and in the marketplace for every bottle that I can put my hands on! I know that there must be hundreds of them! I will send a letter to you in each and every one of them._

_I hope that this finds its way to you... there will be many more... millions more, if I had any say about it. As you always tell me, my darling, I will keep a weather eye on the horizen. I will hold your letter close to my heart as I sleep tonight... I shall kiss it goodnight, and will wish it were you. I am so happy to have your letter in my hands...it was in your hands, at one time... I love you so very, very much. I miss you so very, very much._

_Your Elizabeth_

William smiled at the thought of Elizabeth taking up her sword for Jack and the Black Pearl; she would have been proud that swords had not been drawn... Jack never liked to fight if another way could be found to achieve a goal. He and Jack were becoming more alike, every day, he thought, idly.

William then sadly touched the long braid in his hair which was tied off with the royal blue ribbon that had tied the one and only letter that he had received, and he finally understood just why Jack Sparrow tied trinkets into his hair. Jack may never tell the truth about each one, if asked, but William now knew just how important small things, such as this tiny token of life and love, could be...

Morning came, and it was nearly time for each ship to be on it's way. The Pearl had not had time to fall into disrepair under Barbossa's hand, and the crew had done their level best to take good care of her... they'd had faith that their true captain would find them and be at the helm, again. There was no need to lay in for repairs; the dark ship was ready to sail. The time was growing nigh to depart... but no one was in any hurry to say goodbye.

Jack, William and Bill were chatting on the main deck of the Dutchman. Jack had gathered his little flag from The Sparrow's Revenge. He no longer had any use for the small wooden dinghy, but was sorry to leave her scuttled on the beach. He wanted to keep the homemade flag as a memento of his experience... he had a tendancy to do things like that, but he stated, with truth, that he certainly could not tie the flag into his hair... he would keep it and fly it temporarily when the need arose, as Barbossa had callously dumped Jack's colours into the Atlantic and had every intention of raising his own colours in its stead.

"Right nice little ship she was," he said of the Sparrow's Revenge, sadly, as he folded his flag and tucked it under his arm. "She served her purpose, an' even helped us get me Pearl back. I feel bad..." He scowled, however, at the thought of the oars that laid in the bottom of the tiny dinghy, and rubbed his forehead. William smiled at the memory of pulling Jack out of the storm tossed little boat, knocked out cold from a hard crack to the head by one of those very oars.

He never told Jack how amusing he had looked... once they had determined that his injury was not serious... the thought of poor Jack laying flat on his back in the bottom of the boat, feet straight up over the edge, hands still gripping the oar that was laying right across his face where it had knocked him out made William chuckle to himself. It was a wonder it hadn't broken Jack's nose, and might have, had Jack's hat not broken its progress... the hat was knocked sideways, but at least Jack's nose had been spared.

They were simply standing there, taking in the fine morning aboard the beautiful ghost ship, when Bill happened to look down, and said, "What th'..." William and Jack also looked down, and beheld... the beautiful and delicate little snow white crab, making its way slowly and daintily up over the edge of the railing and across the deck, as it had before, like a wee little white ghost... with yet another rolled up message in its tiny claws... a rolled up message, tied with a tiny strand of seaweed. It made its way slowly, ever so slowly, to the toes of Jack's leather boots, and then stopped. It looked up with its tiny, shiny little black eyes, then softly placed the message at Jack's feet.

Jack's heart leaped in his chest... he recognized the parchment that it was written upon, and knew that this, finally, was what he had been waiting for...

He slowly, ever so slowly, bent down and carefully, almost reverently, picked up the parchment, and then turned his deep, dark eyes up to William's. He held his silence for only a heartbeat, then said, "William... I require the use of your cabin... to read this... alone..."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's note: **Another very long chapter, but an important one. You'll see why. Enjoy. Pirate Cat_

"What is he doing in there?" William was beginning to worry, as Jack had been in the cabin, alone, for almost an hour. Bill gazed at the door, his face starting to frown deeply with concern. Things had been going so well, and he was hoping that Jack was not having one of what William and Bill could only describe as a "dark time", again. Jack's mind sometimes fell into a state of terrible fragility much too easily, and they were becoming quite worried about the man behind the closed cabin door.

"He requested privacy... but what could be on tha' parchment tha' could possibly cause 'im to be in there, by 'imself, for all this time?" Bill glanced at his son, and William finally said, "I'm going in there..."

Just then, as he reached for the handle of the door, it turned, and the door opened slowly. The weary face of Captain Jack Sparrow emerged, and he looked up at the pair solemnly. He stepped to one side, and with a tired sweep of his hand, he beckoned William and Bill inside. Puzzled, they entered. Upon the table, there was a bottle of rum, and three mugs. The windows were open, and a cool sea breeze was wafting through the beautiful cabin, resplendent with the Dutchman's reborn polished woodwork and fine gilded trim.

Wordlessly, Jack pulled out a chair, and indicated that William should sit down. William looked at him, now with alarm in his eyes and wondering about Jack's state of mind, as his father kept glancing from his son to the silent Jack, and back again. Jack poured the rum and set a mug down for each of them, without a word. It was like as if Jack had completely lost the power of speech, and for Captain Jack Sparrow, that was truly something to be alarmed about. William was understanding, now, that the parchment that had been delivered to his friend out on the main deck held a very deep and emotional importance.

William and Bill pulled their chairs up to the table, and looked up at Jack, who was standing in front of them at the table, with his hands clasped behind his back, looking at the floor. They could not read his expression, nor the stance of his body. He stood there, frozen, for a long moment, then picked up two parchments, one rolled inside of the other. He had carefully laid the thin strand of seaweed out on the table.

He looked up at the pair, unrolled the parchments, and cleared his throat, then, in a low voice, he said, "I took some liberties. I do not think tha' you will mind...bear in mind tha' Tia Dalma always rather liked me an' William..." There was no joking in Jack's face or voice. He closed his eyes for a moment, cleared his throat again, then began to read aloud.

_"I, Captain Jack Sparrow, of the ship The Black Pearl, do solemnly and respectfully set forth this Petition in order to request and secure the early release of Captain William Turner the Second from his duties as the ferryman of departed mariners, captaining the good and noble ship The Flying Dutchman. The reasons for the aforesaid Petition on Captain Turner's behalf are as follows:_

_Article One: Captain Turner has taken on the duties of the aforementioned vessel with great diligence, in order to correct and rectify the wrongdoing and general neglect of his predecessor, Captain Davy Jones. The efforts of Captain Turner have brought all ledgers, accounts and records up to date. He was undaunted by the enormity of the aforementioned tasks, and performed them with efficiency, yet great respect was given to each task taken individually._

_Article Two: Captain Turner has worked tirelessly and without complaint to secure safe passage for the souls lost at sea, administering to them with respect, love and compassion beyond the call of his duties. He has guided them, comforted them, and seen each of them safely and efficiently to their final destinations, making certain that each of them has proper passage before he has left them out of his service._

_Article Three: Captain Turner has been faithful and kind to his crew, caring for them and enforcing the original articles of the ship The Flying Dutchman, and discharging them from service, should they request discharge. Captain Turner has not forced service before the mast for any crewmember, and has refused to bind any soul by oath against his will. An oath before the mast was never a requirement of service upon the ship The Flying Dutchman, but was a condition set forth by Captain Turner's predecessor, and was enforced by said predecessor. I, Captain Jack Sparrow, was made privy to this information upon inspection of the articles of the ship The Flying Dutchman, during my stay upon said ship. This inspection was made unbeknownst to Captain Turner, and I took this liberty to read the ship's articles upon my own direction. _

_I have witnessed the aforementioned articles with my own eyes and heart, and have benefited from Captain Turner's kindness and loyalty of friendship, personally. Having known Captain William Turner the Second, his wife Elizabeth Swann Turner, and his father, William Turner the First for a substantial time, I swear and testify that they are good of conscience, and are all true of heart. Captain Turner has gone over and beyond the all calls of duty, having administering to me in my own time of need, without request from me, and all of his family are beyond reproach in all matters of honor. Any sins of Captain Turner, his wife and his father have been, in my eyes, redeemed by acts of courage, fortitude, strength, and above all, love. _

_I understand fully that a new captain must be selected for the ship The Flying Dutchman. I might humbly request that a living heart being required by the ship be stricken from the ship's articles, as there are fine and good men to select from that are presently among the ranks of the already deceased. _

_To conclude; I reiterate. I, Captain Jack Sparrow of the ship The Black Pearl, respectfully petition the Sea Goddess, Calypso, on behalf of Captain William Turner the Second for the return of his living heart, for the immediate release of his curse of immortality and return to a mortal life, and the immediate release from his duties to the ship The Flying Dutchman._

_Signed, Captain Jack Sparrow"_

William stared at Jack in complete shock. When he found his voice, he whispered, "... just as you petitioned Davy Jones to raise the Black Pearl all those years ago, you petitioned Calypso... on my behalf... on my family's behalf..."

Jack looked at William, seriously. He held up both documents for their inspection... "So's ye know tha' I did not write 'em both... one was written by my hand... this one," he indicated, quietly,"... was written by th' hand of another..."

Jack raised his mug of rum, and indicated that William and Bill were to raise theirs, and take a drink with him. William's hand was starting to shake ever so slightly. Jack then took the second parchment, and began to read.

"_I shall set forth this response to the Petition by Captain Jack Sparrow, of the ship The Black Pearl,in a form that will be read and understood by mortal and immortal souls alike. These words are for all to see, that Captain William Turner the Second has proven himself to be honorable and true of heart. He has fulfilled his duties as ferryman of souls, and has passed the tests set forth by myself, Calypso, in order that I may see that there are still men who are of highest honor and compassion. _

_His goodness, strength, sense of fairness, caring and diligence have been observed by Calypso during his service upon the ship The Flying Dutchman, and by Tia Dalma during his service in the pursuit of the heart of Davy Jones to save his loved ones. He has proven himself in his administration to Captain Jack Sparrow, of the ship The Black Pearl, in his times of need, as Captain Jack Sparrow has borne witness._

_Captain Turner has proven, most of all, his capacity for honor. He is a man with a touch of destiny... he was destined to redeem the ship The Flying Dutchman, and has restored her to her purpose of compassion and honorable intent with great expeditiosness and dedication. _

_I have selected a successor, and Captain Turner is to meet with him to explain his duties to him upon his acceptance of his commission as successor. __One condition__ of the granting of the early release of Captain Turner from his service to the ship The Flying Dutchman, as per the request of the Petition of Captain Jack Sparrow, is that the mortal William Turner is to return to the ship The Flying Dutchman to assist the successor captain as it is requested by the successor captain, in order to maintain the honorable practices that the immortal Captain Turner has set forth. _

_This assistance will be temporary, and each term shall be very short in nature, but required until the period of ten years has expired. During times that his service is not required, he will be allowed to lead his mortal life. The articles of the ship The Flying Dutchman shall be amended to no longer require the service of a living heart, but to require the service of an uncommonly strong desire to serve for the benefit of the common good of those whose lives are lost to the sea._

_Upon the acceptance of his successor, permission for the early release of Captain William Turner the Second from the ship The Flying Dutchman, for the immediate restoration of his living heart to his body, and for the reward of restoration to life as a mortal being..._

_... has been __granted_

_Signed,_

_Calypso_

_Goddess of the Sea, Guardian of Souls Lost to the Sea, Guardian of the ship The Flying Dutchman"_

The room was silent, as all who witnessed this miracle let it sink in. Captain Jack Sparrow said softly, "Th' voices in me head tell me tha' there is something that you need t' see, lad..."

He then gently guided a stunned William Turner the Second to the fresh air of the open windows of the cabin, and solemnly made the young man look out upon the sea... at hundreds of bottles, of all colors, shapes and sizes, floating in to anchored Flying Dutchman, for as far as the eye could see. It was truly not a figment of the imagination, as the crews of both ships were taking notice, exclaiming, pointing. Bottles everywhere, bumping up against the sides of the ship, merrily bobbing on the waves, making little clinking noises as they tapped against one another... Elizabeth's love letters...released by the hand of Calypso.

Because he had done the best that he could with what had been dealt to him... because he had courage, compassion, loyalty and love, William had earned the same from others.

And because of a mere mortal pirate captain's own courage and utter audacity to write a petition to a mighty goddess of the sea, to make absolutely certain that his friend's work did not go unnoticed, William would soon be the captain of the Flying Dutchman no more... he would merely help the newly chosen captain upon request to fulfill his ten year obligation... he would soon rejoin mortal life, in the arms of the love of his life... his wife...

There was more work to be done, but it would all be toward a different end, now... Jack, exhausted, took another sip of rum.

He looked up, as the young man who had so long ago been merely a naive young blacksmith from Port Royal, turned back to face him, his handsome face wrought with emotion, and his body shaking..

... and it was then that Captain Jack Sparrow and Bill Turner silently gathered William Turner the Second into their arms, as he finally broke down, and wept...

...Elizabeth Turner had taken to walking on the beach twice a day, now, always, always in desperate hope of finding another bottle with a letter from her beloved. None came, and she was slowly, slowly starting to sink back into despair. This morning was a particularly sunny morning, so she thought that she would perhaps try to lift her spirits, as she always did, by taking up the loose floorboards in her small bedroom, and lifting out the chest that she kept hidden there so carefully.

Kneeling down and pulling the chest from its hiding place, she was surprised to feel the warmth coming from it. She felt it all over with her small hands, and was completely shocked to see that the dark metalwork upon the chest, including its intricate lock, was no longer the deep gray that it had been since she, Jack and James Norrington had unearthed it on Isla Cruces... it was bright gold... purest, polished, real _gold_. The chest, itself, had become brightly polished mahogany, no longer the weathered and darkened wood; it was absolutely lovely. Elizabeth could not believe her very eyes, as she could actually _feel _the heart of her beloved beating, hard and strong, inside. Harder and stronger than it had ever been before.

She began to tremble, as the wind caught the shutters of the windows to her room and they flew open, letting the bright sunshine stream inside. She suddenly placed the chest back down into its hiding place, covered it in blankets, and replaced the floorboards over it, then quickly pulled a corner of a rug over that, and pushed a chest of drawers on top.

Not understanding, but knowing that it was the right thing to do, Elizabeth Turner ran from her cottage, down the pebble path through the trees and down to the sea as though her very life depended upon it, her feet pounding swiftly and her arms out as if to take flight. As she rounded the outcropping of rocks in the sand, she stopped dead in her tracks.

For as far as her eyes could see, bobbing in the water, swirling in eddys near the rocks, laying on the sand, rolling in the waves... were bottles. Hundreds of them. She quickly took one into her hands and stared into it... through the amber glass, could it be? Is it... _yes_, it was a rolled up page, and she struck the bottle hard against a stone, shattering it into a hundred glittering pieces, and fumbled with the message inside... and before her eyes was Will's handwriting.

She started to cry, incoherently, grabbing as many of them as she could, only to drop them back into the water. She ran out into the waves, letting the bottles bump against her legs, she fell into the waves among them, sweeping her hands over them, sobbing with happiness. She opened as many of them as she could, haphazardly...

_...My Elizabeth, I love you so much..._

_...My darling, I miss you so much... I wish I could hold you in my arms..._

_...How I wish that we could be together..._

Her breath was coming in such gasps that she thought that she might faint... she had to turn away from the sea for just a moment, one hand to her throat and her other hand gripping the many letters that she had removed from their vessels.

Momentarily looking down, she suddenly saw a wonderous thing... sitting on one of the rocks that jutted out of the water, was the most beautiful creature of the sea that she had ever seen in her life... gleaming like a diamond, iridescent as a pearl, as delicate and wispy as sea mist, was a tiny crab, white as snow... it stood, quietly gazing at her. Elizabeth gasped, as it held out a rolled up parchment, to her...

She took it into her hands, and tearfully untied the slender piece of seaweed that bound it... in elegant waterlike writing that was almost unearthly in its beauty, it merely said:

_Your destiny awaits...Be ready._

And it was signed...

_Calypso_

**_To be continued..._**


	13. Chapter 13

The sun was reaching higher into the sky as the trio realized that the sooner that they could set sail, the sooner William would be free. They gathered every one of the bottles onto the Flying Dutchman... William would settle for no less. He wanted... desperately needed... every letter that Elizabeth wrote... every stroke of her quill lifted his spirits to such heights that he almost felt as though he were already holding her in his arms. William had composed himself quickly, and had uncharacteristically thrown his arms around his friend in such gratitude and jubilation for what he had done on the Turners' behalf that it startled poor Jack dreadfully ... it was then decided that they needed to make great haste... each second that ticked away was time lost that he could be mortal, again. William almost pushed Jack physically into the longboat, then rowed with all of his immortal might in order to get Jack to the helm and to get the Dutchman and the Pearl on their way.

Captain Jack Sparrow climbed aboard the Black Pearl with as much haste as his skinny legs could muster, up the rigging cast over the side by Gibbs when he had heard Jack bellowing for a rope with which to board the Pearl. He rather looked much like the monkey that had been named for him, as he clambered up the side of the ship. He grabbed Pintel and Ragetti to pull up the rigging, with Mr. Gibbs' help, and turned to yell down at the tall, happy figure in the longboat. "Ye'll have t' give us some time, lad! Even as fast as me Pearl is, she can't always keep up wif th' Dutchman, unless the wind is wif 'er!" He grinned, swaying and pointing his hands at the sails above.

"... Time is wasting, Jack! Set sail _now_! Now!!!" William waved his arms excitedly, looking, to Gibbs' amusement, very much like Jack. "It's off to the China Sea, to my release, to my wife! We must meet with my successor and we must make haste! Its a long journey for the Pearl, so I will meet you there! You will see why the _Flying_ Dutchman has her name!"

And with that, William was gone... the long boat was left drifting aimlessly in the water, as William simply vanished into thin air. Jack frowned for a fleeting moment... he still wished he could do things like that. He dismissed the thought and ran to the steps up to the quarterdeck.

"Wot th' hell is goin' on, Jack?" Joshamee Gibbs exclaimed, as Jack bounded up to the helm, falling up the steps once, and untied the wheel, muttering, "... OW...Bugger!"

"No time t' explain right now, Gibbs! OI! LOOK ALIVE, YE SCABROUS BILGERATS! WEIGH ANCHOR! DROP SAIL AN' CATCH THIS WIND! WE HAVE A RESOLUTE AN' UNYIELDIN' NEED T' BE UNDER WAY!" Jack bellowed, huskily, at the tops of his lungs. The crew leaped into action... excitement was suddenly in the morning air, crackling like lightning.

Turning to Gibbs so quickly that he smacked himself in the face with a long strand of heavy beads and several dreadlocks, the captain ordered, "Bring me my charts to Singapore, along wif me reconciliatory navigational instruments, Gibbs! And rum! I need rum!"

Gibbs' mouth dropped open and he yelled, "Singapore??? We're goin' back t' Singapore???"

Jack jumped up and down in frustration, "Bugger!!! Who's th' bloody _captain_, here??? _Look alive, man_! Bring me th' charts and rum, or ye'll be left here in Madagascar! RUM!"

At that, Gibbs scrambled into action, nearly falling over a barrel, as the anchor was being hauled up as fast as the crew could run it up. They did not know what was afoot, but Captain Sparrow was at the helm again, and the Flying Dutchman had already dipped below the waves and disappeared. For whatever reason that they were heading back to the China Sea, spirits were soaring... and no one even knew why except for Jack Sparrow and William Turner the Second.

The Black Pearl caught the wind, her sails snapping to attention, and the crew happily watched their captain as he masterfully spoke words of love to his Black Pearl... only he knew how to coax such speed as she was famous for from his Dark Lady. With the urgency that got the ship under way, it did not even occur to Jack that this was his first time back at the wheel of his beloved since he had been dumped in Tortuga.

"Alright, my lass! Show ol' Jack tha' Barbossa don' know wot it takes t' get 'is way wif ye..." the captain cooed to his ship, "The Flying Dutchman is about t' have a new captain, an' a bonny lass is soon t' have 'er whelp!" he grinned.."if we can jus' reunite William wif that pesky livin' heart o' his..." Jack's dark face clouded over for a moment... that one will be a tough one... but they would try to figure that one out on the journey to the China Sea... trifles, he thought... just a dagger and plop, in it goes. He stopped to think about that, wrinkled his nose and put his mind back to the task at hand... heading out from the coast of Africa for the Orient.

"Come on, me lady... just a bit of speed, darling," he purred to the wheel, as the sails billowed out and the Pearl leaped forward..."Take us t' the Orient...Let's go find Izzy... an' th' Dead Man's Chest"...

The man had been summoned to the China Sea... in this strange, foggy netherworld that he had been thrown into, somehow, in his mind, he knew that someone was calling him to meet with ... someone...in the China Sea... A voice, soft and feminine, was saying his name.

He felt himself being pulled through the mist, abstractly watching others as they drifted by him, going the way that he had been going, but now, they raised their eyes in hope as he passed by them, a tall, handsome, strong figure. He had a questioning look as he looked back at them, as though he were being shaken awake from a dream.

He was led to a watery shore... there was ... what was that?... could it be a longboat? He stared around him, as he could then see others like him stepping out of longboats, but once again, a mysterious force pulled him forward. He was guided to step _into_ the boat. What was happening to him? Why was he being summoned?

He sat, alone, as the boat made its way through the dark, yet strangely crystal clear, waters. As he looked all around, he saw more and more longboats going the way that he had just come from, and he could see forms down in the waters, making their way along. He felt an overwhelming urge to help them... to guide them... to lead them... but he knew not how... it seemed like he was being pulled along for a very long time, but in this place, there was no time...

Where was he being taken, and for what purpose? In life, he had purpose, and direction, and had taken those attributes and put them to the wrong use. His overwhelming ambition had taken its lead over all else, and had blurred the lines of right and wrong. In life, the lines were always so clear to him, until the day that Captain Jack Sparrow had stumbled in. Suddenly, those lines were no longer so clearly drawn, and he found that the man was so confoundingly right so many times. A black hearted scamp, a pirate, a thief, a man with no morals, but a man with a skewered sense of honor and honesty... and so damnably truthful. Many, many times, those truths hurt.

The man kept looking about... wondering what was happening to him... he had been in a state of dreamlike confusion for so long, it seemed. But as he drifted in the boat, things were slowly becoming clearer... and clearer... and clearer...

It _was _she who was summoning him... she, whose name he had heard on the lips of many of those as they had emerged from the mists of his netherworld since leaving his other life. He had not been ferried to the his final destination, yet... it was as though many had gone ahead of him, yet he waited. It was she... Calypso... who had summoned him, and who was taking him in another direction of the others.

As he looked ahead, he could see a form taking shape before him, and the mists were parting... a form of a large ship in the darkness... he looked at it in wonder... and he finally recognized it. It was the ship where he had met his very end, saving the woman that he loved in life... still loved... the woman that he had given his life for, because he knew that the cause that she fought for, the cause that William Turner and Jack Sparrow were fighting for... was the true and honorable cause.

As he looked up, he saw the misty shadows of two men watching him... waiting for him. One shadow was a tall, muscular young man with long, curly hair tied in a long bandana, broadshouldered and standing straight and proud, a sword strapped to his side and arms crossed over his chest.

The other shadow was shorter, very slender and narrow of shoulders, standing with a relaxed slouch, one hand draped lazily over the hilt of a sword, the other hand resting benignly upon the handle of a pistol shoved into a red striped sash. A leather tricorn hat was perched crookedly upon his tilted head.

As the longboat bumped up to the side of the ship, a familiar voice came from the tall young man, as a smile could be detected. The man in the boat looked up into the familiar faces, as the voice of William Turner said, "Welcome to the Flying Dutchman, Admiral James Norrington."...

_To be continued..._


	14. Chapter 14

_My Dearest Elizabeth, _

_The time is growing near, my dearest love! I am nearby... can you sense it? I so wish that you were with me now... but we must be patient. I know that it is hard, but what we are about to undertake will restore my mortal being, and it must be done so very carefully. I will soon be able to join you, my darling, and I can barely stand the wait. The Black Pearl arrived before dawn this morning, and our strategy has been planned. Please, my dear, just this once, please do as you are told. I know that it will be very hard for you, but it is imperitive._

_The reason for such precision is because timing is essential. We have received yet another message from Calypso instructing us as to what we need to do. All I ask is that you simply do as you are told, do not ask questions, and please trust us. Since my successor has been named and has accepted duty, once I step off of the Dutchman today, time will be of the very essence... we must have the Dead Man's Chest and my heart as quickly as possible... this is not a certain thing, my love, and if we do not carry it through as Calypso instructs, I could be doomed, so please... please... do whatever you are instructed to do. _

_My replacement might surprise you... or perhaps not. Calypso has chosen James Norrington. He arrived before dawn, just after the Black Pearl did, and I explained to him what was being offered to him. He accepted almost immediately. Due to his death being adjacent to when I took captaincy of the Dutchman, he would be among the last that I would have ferried across. Otherwise, I had almost cleared up all of the disarray left behind by Davy Jones... unless there is war, over the last several month, I have finally been able to correct the things that have been undone for so long. James has been ever the gentleman, and was most gratified and honored that the commission, as he called it, was offered (once a Navy man, always a Navy man was the way that he put it, although I believe that Gibbs, Pintel and Ragetti might argue). James has agreed to take the helm in my stead; even in death, many need purpose. _

_The conditions are such as these, my darling, and I do think that it is a very, very small price to pay to ensure our future together... as mortals, I do not know what our future holds, except that we are known pirates, but at least we will be together. I am required to serve only upon James' request, and only in an advisory capacity, so that order may be maintained in the manner which I and my father set forth. I shall serve in short terms, only, but I must be ready to help James, when requested, for the ten years that I was originally to serve. At the end of the ten years, I shall be free from the Dutchman permenantly._

_James' terms are that he is to serve for ten years, and if he has fulfilled his duties to Calypso's approval, he shall be given his life back! I thought that this was a most generous offer, and James has agreed. He has already said that his family owns a shipyard in England, and would like to return there. He looks fairly well, Elizabeth, but there is an utter and overwhelming sadness about him that taking this position seems to have lightened. He almost looked as he did on the Dauntless, when he took the wheel of the Dutchman... he was so proud, and you would have been proud of him. He is a good man... he was just mislead by the dark side of ambition, as Jack had observed long ago, but who among us is not, sometimes? None of us is unfailingly noble, only painfully human._

_And another thing, my love... as much as I know you would like to talk to him once we are together, you cannot... James still loves you... and that restriction still stands... the Captain of the Flying Dutchman may have no contact with the one that he loves for ten years. I'm sorry over that, as I know you will be. He is resigned to this, and knows that he has lost you, but he knows that he did the right thing when he commited himself to saving your life and losing his. He has said that if he is called to a different fate, then he accepts it and will move on with his destiny. _

_On a glad note, James has already asked my father to stay on as first mate. Father was very pleased, as he knows the Dutchman through and through, and he cannot join us. He can visit us for short times, and I will be able to see him when I am called for service by James, so we are very fortunate! We will finally be a family, my darling! _

_I am writing this on the very same morning that you will read it... I want you to pack your things, my love, and be ready upon the beach later today. Bring the Dead Man's Chest with you... and please... for me... just do as you are requested to do... for us._

_Until tonight, when we are united forever, _

_All of my love, _

_Your Will_

Elizabeth had packed her sea bag almost immediately. She had no need for fripperies... that part of her life was over with forever. She had been through so much, had lost so much, had learned so much, that she felt as though she was a completely different woman than she had been even only a year ago. She left behind many things, including her Chinese silks and brocades... her trappings as the former captain of the Empress.

She kept looking out at the sun in the sky, and as it kept creeping along its celestial path, she became more and more nervous. What did Will mean when he kept saying that she must do as she was told without question? Who was she to answer to that it might be so hard? Why was he so worried about it? She did not know, and the more that she worried, the more nervous she became. She paced... her heart was beating faster and faster as the time seemed to nearly stop.

Elizabeth finally knew that it was time. She took a final look around the little cottage on the China Sea, picked up her sea bag and the beautiful gold and mahogany chest, which she had placed inside of a plain blanket, and walked down the path to the beach. Her heart leaped into her throat when she finally caught sight, about two miles out, of the unmistakable outline of the Black Pearl...

...it seemed like an eternity had passed, and Elizabeth had paced a trench into the sand... she was so nervous that she felt as though her own heart would burst. She wrung her hands, she fretted, she kept putting her ear to the chest to hear the heart of her beloved beating, faster and stronger than ever before... she tried to calm down, but with each moment that passed, her nerves became more tightly wound... why did Will doubt that she would do whatever it took? She had promised to protect the chest... she had promised.

Finally, she strained her eyes to look up to the ship and her heart nearly leaped out of her throat. She could see a longboat. She shaded her eyes with her hand, and could finally see the frantic rowing of the crew of the Black Pearl. The time was here... and at the front of the boat, rowing hard with an additional oar, was a determined Captain Jack Sparrow...

As the crew scrambled out of the longboat, Jack fairly leaped from the bow, breathing hard and wobbly, and said, "As much as I would love t' stand an' pass th' time o' day wif ye, Mrs. Turner, I have need o' th' chest, if ye please..."

Elizabeth stared at him... "Jack? _You _are taking the chest back to the ship?" Jack knew that this was a bad idea, but Bill was to stay with William...

"Yes, darling, please give me..."

Elizabeth felt her nerves finally beginning to fray... she had held out for so long..."Jack... I _want _to trust you... I _need _to trust you... but I swore to guard it with my life... how can I know that you will do the same?" Jack's eyes grew wide and his mouth popped open in surprise. But then he looked into this frightened, loyal girl's eyes, and saw the turmoil behind them... he was a pirate, and even though he had done the right thing so many times, she still doubted him. If there had been time, perhaps his feeling might have been stung...but Elizabeth loved William so much and was still trying not to let go of what little she actually had of him... she was not thinking clearly...

Elizabeth's voice was starting to go up an octave, and tears were starting to sting. She had been so true to Will, and had taken such care...she clutched the chest, in its blanket, to herself, holding it tightly and backing away from Jack. The heart inside was beating against her, strong and true. Gibbs and the crew watched in horror as the girl was starting to shake uncontrollably.

"Elizabeth! PLEASE!" Jack was almost begging, his hands held out in front of him, and his eyes widening. "William told you to..."

"No! I...I... I thought it would be Bootstrap...I'll take it myself!"

"Bill is wif his son, on th' Pearl! Elizabeth! Listen t' me!" Jack finally was able to grab her by her shoulders and, for the first time ever, he directed hot impatience at her. "Every moment tha' we waste arguing is takin' time from William's life! You cannot go t' him! You must give me th' chest, or hold th' responsibility o' yer husband's demise in your hands!"

"_NO_!" Elizabeth went into hysterics, clutching her husband's very life against her body... she finally broke free of Jack's grasp, and bolted down the beach, with Jack in hot, desperate pursuit.

No one could deny that Jack Sparrow was able to almost fly on his feet... he was one of the fasted runners that ever lived, in his own estimation, and had proven it many times during his many years as a pirate. He was easily able to overtake the tearful Elizabeth, but did not expect what would come next...

Elizabeth, in her desperate and distraught bid to jump into the longboat and go to the Pearl herself, swung the chest around with a vengeance, and cracked Jack Sparrow squarely in the jaw... it struck so hard that he was flung completely around, and crumpled to the sand...

_To be continued..._


	15. Chapter 15

Elizabeth lost her grip upon the chest as she swung it at Jack, and it flew wildly right into the hands of Mr. Pintel. As soon as she had seen Jack fallen on the beach, Elizabeth was immediately sorry, and came to her senses, and she ran to his side, crying out, "Jack! Jack! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I panicked! Are you alright? Get up! _Please_! The longboat! Ohhh, you're bleeding..."

... Gibbs was also at his side, and Jack was already struggling to his feet, swaying wildly and cursing. He shook his head violently, blood streaming from his mouth. Finally clearing his vision, he yelled, "The chest!!! Give it t' me _NOW_!" And with that, Pintel and Ragetti scrambled forth as fast as they could, grabbing Jack and pushing him, and the chest, into the longboat.

They all gave the boat a mighty push out into the water, and Jack grabbed the oars and rowed as hard as he could. He kept shaking the stars from his vision and the odd hallucinations from his head desperately, droplets of blood flying, and the others on the beach were afraid that the captain's confused mind would claim him once again... it was proclaimed by Calypso that no one could be aboard the Pearl when William's heart would be restored to him with the exception his father, and Jack... the rest of the crew could only wait, with Elizabeth, and hope.

As Jack rowed desperately to the Pearl, Elizabeth collapsed onto her knees in the sand. She was shaking like a leaf, and finally, Mr. Gibbs gently put his arms under her and lifted her up. Mr. Pintel took the blanket that had been around the chest, gently admonishing Elizabeth and placing the blanket around her shoulders, "... now, now, Poppet... ye jus' got all upset, is all... now, now..." Elizabeth finally simply put her face into Mr. Gibbs' broad chest, and sobbed. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry...Will told me...poor Jack... I trust him... I just... oh, I hurt him... he was bleeding...I thought it would be Bootstrap..."

"Shhh, lass... shhhh...Bootstrap couldn't come an' take the chest th' way that he normally would, it don't work tha' way," Mr. Gibbs pulled her close and soothed her as if she were a small child. He remembered when she was just a wee lassie on the crossing that she had made to Port Royal from England all those years ago... he was a boatswain in the Navy at the time, and was serving on the Dauntless ... she was a winsome little thing, then, and he had taken great pleasure in telling her stories, even if he considered her frightful bad luck upon the ship for speaking so boldly of pirates. If he had only known, then, he thought.

"... listen, Miss Elizabeth, it will be alright... Jack is almost out o' sight, now, an' he will make it in time, jus' you watch... " Joshamee rocked Elizabeth, calming her, as the other crewmembers milled about, gathering firewood to build a signal bonfire. They knew just how much William, Elizabeth and Jack had all gone through, and how much more Jack, Bill and William still had to go through in the next hours, and they knew that a bonfire would be the only sure thing that would warm them... Jack was now out of sight... and they could only hope that he was alright, and that he had made it through the choppy waters to the Pearl, and to the miracle that would take place...

The sun was sinking lower and lower into the sky, and Elizabeth was so distraught that she swore that she could not watch... but she had to ... Silence had fallen upon the little group on the beach, with only the occasional squawk from Mr. Cotton's parrot. It seemed as though the sun had slowed down... creeping down so slowly as to stop completely... Elizabeth sat next to the fire, nervously biting her fingernails, and gazing at the sunset until she was almost blinded.

Then, solemnly, they all stood up and gathered together, side by side, eyes glued to the setting sun as it was almost dancing upon the edge of the sea with its rays, and the silhouette of the Black Pearl. They all collectively held their breath, not daring to make a sound. Even the parrot stared out to sea.

Suddenly, the sea began to roll, and the resulting waves began to crash against the rocks. Elizabeth was being held to her feet by Mr. Gibbs, as the waves began to roll up against their feet. There was a loud clap of thunder from above their heads, and suddenly the clouds began to turn slightly. As the winds blew fresh salt air across the expanse of water, there was suddenly the most beautiful sight...from the sky down to the masts of the Black Pearl...

Elizabeth cried out "WILL!" ... as they all witnessed a blinding, bright wonderful flash of green light that stretched from the heavens to the horizen... a soul had returned to earth...

...the sun had set, and now the most painful waiting took place. What had happened? As the little group gathered around the bonfire, no words were said. Elizabeth was breathing hard, knotting and unknotting the edge of the blanket in her hands... leaning against an ever strong Mr. Gibbs, accepting a pat on the shoulder or the hands by Ragetti and the silent Mr. Cotton. Finally, a voice broke through the darkness, and the longboat came into the firelight. As they all looked up, they all broke into smiles, as the grinning face of Bootstrap Bill Turner came into view. "Ahoy! Ahoy, crew of th' Black Pearl!"

Elizabeth got to her feet and slowly walked through the sand in wonder... Bill got out of the longboat and slowly approached her, letting her take it all in... "Bootstrap...?" she whispered.

He smiled at her, gently..."Aye... daughter-in-law..." he took up her hands in his, and said softly, "... your husband is waitin' t' see ya..." And as she collapsed into Bill's arms, a mighty "HUZZAH!" rose from Jack's jubilant crew... Jack had made it with the chest... and William was _alive_...

Elizabeth threw off the blanket and ran to each crewmember, "... Mr. Cotton! Marty!"... her laughter rang like little bells, and she embraced them... she dashed to Pintel and Ragetti, who were still shouting and dancing, and she cut a caper with them in the sand...Elizabeth then ran to Mr. Gibbs, threw her arms around his beefy neck and exclaimed, "Joshamee! Oh thank you!" and kissed him, twice! She then stopped, caught her breath, and looked out to the lights of the Black Pearl, and breathed, "_Jack_..._ oh, Jack... thank you... thank you...I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."_

... and then... without even thinking of her sea bag, she ran to the longboat, and started to push off without Bill... he laughed, grabbed the seabag that was tossed to him by little Marty, and yelled, "We'll be back for ye in the mornin', gents... we are havin' a Turner family reunion t'night." And with that, he tossed over a keg of rum for the crew, compliments of Captains Sparrow and Turner, and pushed the longboat off of the sand, and into the darkness...

...a bone weary Jack sat next to William's bunk, arms and shoulders numb from rowing, finally dressed in clean clothing, his bandana was soaked in sweat. He had stripped down to only his breeches during the process that it took to restore William's heart. It did, in fact, require the need of William's dagger, and once the heart was in place, it suddenly became a very bloody process. The room had lit up with a blinding green light, and the whole ship had rocked with the clap of thunder, and suddenly, the long gash that had been cut into the young man's chest closed itself off without the benefit of stitches. The wound still bled, however, and needed to be bound up with tight bandages around William's chest and over one shoulder, but he was alive... and mortal... and sleeping peacefully...

Jack could not stop staring at him. Once or twice he placed his hand over the bandage, and felt the heart beating stronger than any heart had any right to. He felt William's forehead and his face, and they were warm to the touch. William had been completely conscious until the heart was actually in place, and he had then understandably gone under. It was just as well...

Jack looked over at the open, empty chest, sitting on the table, the key in the lock. It had changed drastically in appearance... or he thought it had... he could not always remember things, these days, he thought, vaguely. He did not remember it being as beautiful as it was, now... in fact, it had been downright ugly, but then... he could be wrong. He took another pull from the bottle of rum in his thin hand, and burning, throbbing pain made his other hand shoot up to his own face. He winced... the pain was like a knife. Elizabeth had taken quite a swing at him, to the lass' credit, and had completely and bloodily knocked out one tooth... he had spat it out right into the China Sea... he thought that another one might be chipped... and it _hurt _... but it was all in the back of his mouth, and it was a small sacrifice to make... he looked over at William, and then reached over and patted the lad's arm...

As he heard the longboat bump against the side of the Pearl, he sighed heavily, and prepared to slip out of the cabin and into the deep, dark shadows that only the Pearl could possess... he would make himself scarce, blending into the darkness as naturally as if he were a part of the ship, so that the closest thing to a family that he had ever known could finally be alone, together... without him. Deep down in his own emotional Locker, a voice whispered that he did not belong there when the Turners were finally brought together...

He took another pull of rum to quiet his own heart and to rid his mouth of the taste of blood, took one more look at William, and prepared to slip out onto the main deck to find a place to stay out of the way...

_To be continued..._


	16. Chapter 16

Morning was just dawning, pink and orange, spilling gloriously into the windows of Jack's cabin... there was a quiet knock at the door, and Elizabeth said, softly, "...come in..."

The door crept open slowly, and Bill's merry blue eyes peeked around to his son and daughter-in-law, just as he had left them moments before, nestled in each other's arms in Jack's bunk, Elizabeth laying on top of the blankets, gently stroking William's face, their hands lovingly entwined. William was awake, holding Elizabeth's head against his shoulder, his right arm holding her body against him, his face buried in her lavender scented hair. They both smiled as Bill grinned, and he stepped into the cabin, dragging behind him a bleary eyed Jack Sparrow. "Look what I found lurkin' about out there... a pirate...asleep out there on th' main deck... snorin'...imagine that..."

Jack had his hat and bandana pulled down low over his face, and looked at Bill out of the corner of his eye like as if he were with the Royal Navy. It was clear that he did not quite seem to know where he was, then his eyes landed upon the Turners. Jack smiled a little, keeping the left side of his face out of view, waved his hands about in random circles, swayed a bit and said, in a sleepy, hoarse voice, "...mornin'...how are ye, lad?" Bill let go of his arm, and as he did, Jack put a hand up to rub his eyes, only to flinch in pain. It was then that Elizabeth saw the swelled up side of his face... she gasped in horror, and her hand shot to her mouth. William sighed and whispered, "Just _what _did you _do _to him?" He looked at his wife sideways, as one eyebrow shot up.

"...Oh, Jack!" Elizabeth got up from the bunk, and immediately went over to look at Jack's face, lifting up his hat. He instinctively backed away from her and frowned, grumpily. Elizabeth felt guilt suddenly washing over her like a wave, reddening her cheeks, and she said, sadly, "I swung the chest at him ... I didn't want to give it up..." she looked sadly into Jack's pained brown eyes, and said, with feeling, "I hurt you... I've hurt you _so_ _many_ _times_... I'm so sorry..." she reached up, gently, and lightly touched his swollen jaw... this time he did not back away, "... look at what I did to you..."

Jack sighed, "... I always have said tha' I admire someone tha' does whatever it takes... funny tha' ye always seem t' aim whatever it takes right at me..." Elizabeth looked down at the floorboards in utter shame. Jack chuckled, and she looked up into his laughing eyes, "...Ye owes me a couple o' teeth, Izzy... sorry, I mean 'Mrs. Turner'..." he raised his index fingers to punctuate his remark, then grunted with the pain that shot through his face.

"_A couple of teeth_?" Elizabeth looked at Jack in shock, then back at William, who had closed his eyes in disbelief. William shook his head and said, weakly, "Jack comes to procure my heart from you to save my life, _and you knock out his teeth_..." Elizabeth was looking from Jack, to Bill, to William, and back at Jack. Her hazel eyes began to well up.

Something about irony of it all seemed to strike Jack as amusing, and he smiled. He flinched in pain, then smiled wider. Then he started to laugh in the curious silent way that he always did... his face grinning and his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. "Ow...I tries t' save yer husband's life an' I end up spittin' a bloody tooth into th' China Sea... funny ol' world, innit? _Ow_..." William's pale face broke into a grin, and Bill started to chuckle.

Elizabeth puckered up to almost cry, then she, also had to start laughing a little. As Jack painfully placed a hand over his bruised jaw, Elizabeth slipped her arms around his neck and embraced him, warmly... "Thank you, Jack...it looks as though _'Izzy' _shall spend the rest of her life trying to make everything that she has done to you right... and honestly, she does not think that she can..." she whispered into his shoulder.

He smirked and shrugged, "... I shall just try me best t' keep me _distance _from 'Izzy... for a lot o' reasons...'" he grinned. "... ow... bugger."...

...after Elizabeth kissed William, softly and lovingly, Elizabeth went down to the galley to see if she could perhaps make some coffee on the stove. She knew that Bill would be leaving with the longboat soon to bring the crew back to the ship, and they would need warming up. She paused at the top of the steps to look over at the island, in the distance, and she thought to herself that they could not leave soon enough... she hoped to never see that island again. She looked back into the cabin doors in front of her, as she left them open to let in the cool breeze, and she smiled with pride. She saw her beloved, being propped up in the bunk by his tall father... one of the sweetest and most wonderful men. She could not ask for a better father-in-law. Bill was gentle, loving... Bill laughed easily, and he insisted that she call him Father, also. Her heart took,a strange little twist in her chest as she thought of her own father, dead at the order of Cutler Beckett.

And she looked at Jack, who had settled into a chair, and who was leaning forward to listen to something that William was saying... they had their hands clasped together like brothers... Jack was smiling, albeit painfully, and her handsome William was reaching over to emphasize something that he was saying to the captain by patting his knee. Jack replied, waving his hands in the air for emphasis, and William nodded and grinned. She once again put her hand up to her mouth to still her trembling lip, and blinked hard to stay the tears that were brimming. She never felt so relieved in her life... she was here, on the Black Pearl, able to hold her husband and the love of her life, in her very arms. Now... not ten years from now, but now... and she thought herself to be the luckiest woman in the world. She thanked Calypso... for allowing her to know that there was a future, and hope, and the love and caring of not just one, but three men in her life...

As she returned to the cabin with steaming mugs of coffee, Jack was telling his companions of a conversation that he'd had during the night... it was being met by some skepticism, being that Jack had a tendancy to hallucinate or dream vividly, but he insisted, in his softest of Irish brogues, that he'd had a conversation with a mermaid. "... she said tha' she was rather enamored wif th' captain o' th' Flying Dutchman, an' I says 'well, he has already been laid claim to, as it were', an' she says, 'oh no, not Captain Turner! It's James Norrington I've set me cap for!'" They all laughed, but Jack looked miffed... he could have sworn he'd had a conversation with a mermaid... or maybe not... he bobbed his head to one side, and tried to remember...

The rest of the crew was brought back from the island, and they all insisted upon seeing the now mortal William Turner the Second for themselves, and who could blame them... after they all had strong black coffee and hard biscuits as soon as they boarded, they set themselves to work to leave this place behind them. Mr. Gibbs grinned widely as he kneeled down on his knee to shake William's hand, warmly, placing his other hand over William's. He did not tarry, as William was tired, and there was much to do to prepare the Black Pearl to sail. Mr. Pintel and Mr. Ragetti both grinned and waved from their places out on the main deck, as they directly put themselves to their tasks, and Mr. Cotton's parrot squawked, "Wind in the sails!"

Jack soon declared the cabin off limits to all, so that the Turners would have some privacy. He had the crew ready a cabin that the Turners could call their own... he had already made up his mind that, now that William was back among them, he and Elizabeth would always have a place upon the Black Pearl... it was far from certain what the young couple would do with their future, but the captain was secretly hoping, deep down inside, that they would include him...

The Pearl was soon ready to make sail, but before they were to depart for Singapore to requisition supplies at the abundant marketplaces, Captain Jack Sparrow had one more thing that he wished to do... one more thing that involved the now empty Dead Man's Chest... the chest that was now mysteriously missing one of its solid gold hinges...

_To be continued..._


	17. Chapter 17

As they were getting ready to set sail in the afternoon, the crew was surprised to see the doors to Jack's cabin open, and to see William and Elizabeth emerge, smiling and embracing each other. Jack peered down from the helm and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He blinked at them, astonished.

"Here now! Wot th' hell are ye doin'? Ye needs rest, William! Not good!" he scampered down the steps, fluttering his hands at the couple, and trying to turn them back into the cabin. William calmed the captain down, as Bill emerged from the cabin, nodding wisely at Jack. "I'm much better, Jack! I wanted to come out and get some sun, is all."

"But..." Jack was quite flustered. He looked at Elizabeth, appealingly.

"Jack." William looked at him earnestly, as Elizabeth smiled, "... do you understand what it feels like to feel one's heart beating in one's chest... when it hasn't been?" Jack stared at him, then his eyes softened as he realized what the young man was saying. William put a hand on his friend's scrawny shoulder. "I wish to feel the sun on my face. To smell the salt air. To taste rum on my tongue, and taste my wife's kisses. To feel the ship as she is tossed upon the sea. To laugh with my best friend. It makes the heart beat _faster _and _wilder_, and _stronger_. Do you know how it feels to _not _feel one's heart beating...?"

William ran his hand carefully over his heavily bandaged chest. His eyes had such pain in them... such emotion... such sadness... that Jack could only stare at William for a long moment. He thought about what it must have been like for William, as these were the things that Jack loved... and he also knew how it felt, to not have a beating heart. He looked up at the young man's face, and said, "Aye... I know a little bit... but I was in another place, altogether..." Jack squeezed his eyes shut, and William simply patted his shoulder. Jack opened his owl-like eyes, and shook himself all over, like a dog shaking water from itself.

He frowned deeply at the pair, and pouted a little. "... jus' don't tire yerself out, whelp..." Jack mumbled as he went back up to the helm, waving his hands in irritation. "We have important things t' attend to in a bit..." William smiled at the captain as Jack muttered to himself. He and Elizabeth then slowly made their way to a table and chairs that had been set up on the deck for rounds of Liar's Dice. They settled in to sun themselves, and smile at the activities and the bustling around them... not to mention the smiles, handshakes and comaraderie.

As the sun was beginning to hang lower in the sky, Jack suddenly stood at the front of the quarterdeck and bellowed as loudly as his swollen jaw would allow, "ALL HANDS ON DECK! EVERYONE GATHER 'ROUND... I HAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT T' MAKE." The crew all gathered around and William and Elizabeth turned from where they had been seated all afternoon. "Our guests of honor, Mr. and Mrs. William Turner the Second, are to be takin' place in a little ceremony," Jack winked at Bill, who winked back,"... or two..." he turned back to his audience, "... tha' will take place immediately upon me an' Bill... uh..comin' down th' steps." Jack looked around, and for lack of anything better to say.

Jack swayed down the steps with Bill close behind, and they both approached the young Turners, who both had wondering looks upon their faces. They looked at each other, as the crew gathered around. Jack nodded to Mr. Ragetti, who disappeared below momentarily, giggling with anticipation. William went to stand up, but Jack leaned down and said, "It's not necessary yet, lad... stay seated... please." He placed his fingertips gingerly upon William's shoulders and ever so delicately pushed him back into this chair.

To everyone's surprise, Mr. Ragetti reappeared with the chest in his hands. It was locked, and he set it upon the table between Elizabeth and William, who stared at it momentarily, then they both turned questioning eyes back to the captain. His eyes got a faraway look for a moment, and he then spoke, eloquently.

"As ye all know so very well, this chest is th' Dead Man's Chest. It was used by those who captained th' Flying Dutchman, when a livin' heart was required t' keep th' ship t' serve its purpose. It was used for th' wrong purposes, for a long, long time. Th' ship became a dreaded ghost ship, takin' th' souls o' those who were afraid o' death, an' forcin' 'em t' serve in order t' not go forward t' their fates..." Jack paused. He was afraid of death... permanently scarred, mentally, by his own death and restoration...he was capable of dying, again... he felt his hands starting to clench...he closed his eyes, and swallowed hard... _control... don't let the Locker flood yer mind, Jack... control..who let all of those other Jacks in here?...control_... Bill grasped his shoulder, and Jack opened his eyes, again. "...whew..." He swallowed hard one more time, and then continued.

"This chest became a symbol o' servitude... o' captivity... o' the loss of freedom." Jack looked up at Bill, sadly, "...it became th' symbol o' th' loss o' love..." Bill's eyes clouded over. Jack turned to a somber William and Elizabeth, who had reached for each other's hands, and now had their fingers entwined tightly at Jack's words. Jack took deep breath, and brightened a bit, and said, "... well, we are all gathered here t' celebrate th' _end _o' all o' th' aforementioned..." He then smiled down at the couple and nodded to Bill, whose eyes brightened as he unlocked the chest. The young couple's eyes widened as Bill opened the chest and reached inside.

Jack looked at William and Elizabeth happily, and much to everyone's amazement, Bill's hands carefully and slowly lifted from the chest... the tiny, beautiful and dainty little snow white crab. Everyone gasped and murmered in apprecation of something so lovely. Bill smiled widely, as the entire crew looked on in awe... they had not seen the wee creature before, and were completely delighted.

Bill placed it on the table between William and Elizabeth, and it moved its tiny legs to propel itself forward toward them. It paused, looking up at them with its black eyes, and with it's claws, it laid a tiny package down upon the table, tied beautifully with red string and sea shells... as they all watched in fascination, Bill placed his hands down upon the table, and the lovely little creature of the sea slowly made its way into his palms, and he delicately, almost lovingly, placed it back into the chest, and closed it.

Jack looked at his friends sitting in front of him, and said quietly, "Calypso has requested the return o' th' chest, so we shall commend this chest an' her little messenger back to her... back t' the sea from whence they came... but first... " he smiled, "... I should like t' have ye stand, please..." Elizabeth looked at Will, and wondered what Jack was doing... she got up, and came around the table and helped William to his feet. They both looked at Jack, not understanding...

Jack straightened his hat upon his head, cleared his throat, and looked up at William, trying to look _down _his nose at him. William snickered. He then looked at Elizabeth, who stared at him incredulously, then he said, dismissively, "Well, go ahead... open it." he pointed a finger, in a disjointed fashion, at the lovely little gift upon the table. The Turners picked it up together, and carefully unwrapped it together... they both gasped, as inside, made of gold from the hinge of the Dead Man's Chest that had affected their lives so profoundly...

... were two gleaming, golden wedding bands, beautifully engraved with ocean waves... sparkling and lovely.

Jack watched them for a moment, as the couple were on the verge of becoming overwhelmed. He then said, quietly, "I know tha' Barbossa married th' two o' ye during th' Battle o' th' Maelstrom, but I was wondrin' if I could do ye th' honor o' presentin ye wif rings? It was one last request we made o' Calypso in lettin' me have one o' th' hinges... an' Bill made th' rings...Bill can do a plethora o' wondrous things... yer gonna miss tha' part, whelp, havin' extra powers... an' I never got t' marry anyone as th' captain o' me ship...but I can at least present ye wif rings, savvy?" Jack's voice trailed off hopefully, his head tipped to the side, his hands stopped in midair, as he wondered if the couple was going to say anything.

The Turners were speechless... and they both looked at their friend and William's proud father, who would have to soon take leave with the Dutchman... William finally found his voice. "We would be honored, Captain Sparrow..."

"Awright then... take th' ring, Izzy... awww, don't cry!... there, there... that's th' lass..." Jack patted Elizabeth's hand and said, "Alright, 'William, here is me ring for ye'... repeat it, Izzy..." Elizabeth giggled through tears of happiness, and repeated, "... William, here is me ring for ye..." She laughed out loud as she placed the beautiful ring upon William's left hand, her eyes sparkling up at him.

"Now!" Jack continued brightly. "William! Say 'Izzy, I have a ring for ye, as well, savvy?" William started to laugh, as he took Elizabeth's hand and said, with great enthusiasm, "Izzy! I have a ring for ye, as well, savvy?" And he slowly, lovingly, slipped it upon her finger.

And as Jack took each of his friends' hands and placed them together, he leaned back and yelled, "... by th' power invested in me as th' captain o' me own ship, The Black Pearl, I now pronounces ye husband an' wife wif _rings_! Top that one, Hector! Drinks all around!!!"

He waved his arms with a great flourish, as the crew whooped with glee... the Turners, however, looked a bit sad, as their captain turned and said, "Oh, yes, there's plenty t' drink for all o' you, too...an' peanuts!"... to no one. No one was there... although Jack's momentarily vacant eyes told them that he thought that there was. William and Elizabeth looked at each other... they had quietly talked of staying on the Pearl with Jack... they weren't sure that they could leave him, now...

The crew broke out the rum and drinks were raised all around, but not for long... as the Pearl was to get under way immediately, in deference to the wishes of the Turners... they had a deep desire to put this island and its memories behind them, with the help of their friends. And as the Pearl's sails began to fill with the evening winds to take to the China Sea by night, William, Elizabeth, Bill and Jack quietly and reverently gathered at the ship's railing, all holding the chest within their hands... as they all put their hands on of each other's on the lid of the beautiful chest, together, they looked into each other's eyes ... there was no need for words... they stood together as a family... and as a family, they carefully and slowly let the chest slip over the side of the Black Pearl, and watched, together, as it splashed into the water and slipped softly into the dark oblivion of the depths... back to the sea, from whence it had come... forever into the waiting hand of Calypso...

_To be continued..._


	18. Chapter 18

He looked out over the beautiful waves that were before his ship, and he felt more emotion and peace than he had felt in years. The sun had set, and the sky was filled with twinkling stars and a full moon... it had been years since he had actually guided a ship through the waters, and he had forgotten just what a feeling of exhiliration and freedom that it could bring. He felt the salty wind in his face, as his hands caressed the wheel's smooth handles with respect. She was a fine ship, with a fine mission. In due time, he might be able to pass the captaincy on to another, but for now, he was content.

"Orders, Captain?" Bootstrap Bill Turner had appeared at his side, the wind blowing his long hair all about his face. Amazing, how much young Turner looked like his father, except for the blue eyes, James thought. Bootstrap Bill Turner was a good man. He had not been in his right mind when he had fatally injured James, and James was now thinking that he should thank his first mate for opening his eyes to a different world... indeed, the world that he had been living in was worse than the world that he had been introduced to upon his death. James held no grudge.

"No orders for this evening, Mr. Turner," came the reply in James' deep, rich voice, not sad, but merely thoughtful. He'd had much time to think about things since Bill's departure with his son and Jack Sparrow, to the Black Pearl. The crew of the Dutchman considered William to be their friend and leader, and were happy for him, but terribly sad to see the driven young man leave the Flying Dutchman, simply because they would miss him... they certainly could not say the same of his predecessor. It was not made easier by knowing that he would be back, once and again... they would miss him, his kindness and his dedication. William had to leave in haste, as once James had accepted the position offered to him, William would begin to deteriorate until his heart was restored to him. There was not much time for emotion...

James looked down at the sword that was strapped to his side, and thought about all that this beautiful instrument of battle had seen. It was made by the very hands of the man that he was succeeding, in a blacksmith's shop in Port Royal, Jamaica in what seemed like an eternity ago... maybe it was an eternity ago. This very sword had fallen into the hands of the cold Cutler Beckett. James had run Davy Jones through with it, as James had laid, dying, upon the small deck just off of what was now his own cabin. Funny, he certainly did not feel as though he were dead, now...he felt very much alive. The sword had been the very sword that took the mortal life of William Turner the Second, who had carried it in his immortality until he ceremoniously presented it back to James upon leaving the Flying Dutchman. If this sword could talk...

James came out of his thoughts, as Bill lit his pipe. He turned to his first mate and asked, "How is your son, really, Mr. Turner? Is he going to be alright?"

"Aye, Captain, right as rain. My son is a tough one, an' Jack Sparrow an' I must have done a fair job with 'is heart. He is already up an' about, him an' his missus."

James eyes clouded over. Elizabeth. He had loved her so much, but he knew that he'd never had a chance. Somehow, that did not seem as important to him, now. He thought to himself that Elizabeth had so much spirit, so much fire, and so much love for William Turner the Second that a marriage between her and himself would have been a disaster. They were nothing alike... he had represented all that she was now escaping from. He smiled, wryly.

"Strange, is it not, Mr. Turner, that in death I am attempting to accomplish what I never did in life... I am undertaking a fine mission, to carry on the exemplary work of your son, with ambition and honor, and not bowing to the orders and wishes of someone with dishonor in mind..." James mused. "I only wish that I'd married... my mother wanted grandchildren so much, and even though my brothers married and had families, I was married to the Royal Navy and as her favorite, I am afraid that I was a disappointment to her."

Bill looked at James in shock, and almost disgust. "How could you ever be a disappointment t' her, sir? You are a fine officer an' a fine sailor. You are an honorable man. Just because you loved Elizabeth Swann, but did not win her hand does not constitute disappointment... it means that you are capable of love for others, but are fair an' decent, even if you don't always win your heart's desire. Your mother should never have been disappointed."

James pondered this, as Bill's eyes smiled over the smoke from his pipe. "By th' by, Captain Norrington, Jack Sparrow told us tha' there is a little mermaid that is interested in ye..."

James stared at him in utter disbelief. "Jack Sparrow told you...? A mermaid??? Oh, please! There are no such things as mermaids, and..." he stopped himself, and looked around at the ship that he never thought existed until just recently, then reddened in embarassment. He cleared his throat, and looked at his first mate out of the corner of his eye.

Bill looked up at the stars, matter of factly, " Remember... most o' th' legends o' the sea are founded in fact... yer sailin' on of 'em. Now, about th' young mermaid... ye do cut a fine figure in your new uniform, if I may be so bold t' say it, Captain. It may be yer old uniform of th' Navy, but the new colors suit ye...is it any wonder that a mer-lassie would find ye attractive?"

James looked down at his new uniform, and adjusted his hat. He had a uniform that was now black with silver braid, with shiny black boots, and a black tricorn trimmed with fine gray feathers. He smiled; he thought he looked rather smart, at that, especially without the powdered wig. He had no clue as to where it came from, only that it was laid out upon the bunk of his cabin when William Turner had left it for the last time... he knew not where it came from at all. It was a beautiful uniform, and James decided not to question. James cleared his throat, again, and his green eyes twinkled a bit.

"So... Bill..." he said, turning the wheel a bit, and looking at his first mate, "... how does one go about having a meaningful and polite conversation.. with a mermaid, I wonder?"

Bill grinned at his captain, puffed on his pipe, and the two of them smiled as the Flying Dutchman prepared to submerge to the depths. They would get along just fine. And James was a bit startled as he thought he saw, out of the corner of his eye, a beautiful woman's face smiling at him from the nighttime waves, then the flash of a lovely iridescent green and blue fish's tail...mermaids, indeed...

...William lovingly stroked his wife's sleeping face as it was pressed against his cheek. Her golden wedding ring caught the soft light of the small lantern that was still lit in their own cabin upon the Black Pearl, a little lantern that was suspended from the ceiling rafter, softly rocking to and fro with the motion of the ship as she cut through the waters. They were finally on their way to the marketplaces of Singapore, and it had been decided that they would then chart a course back around the world to the Caribbean. It would be a very long voyage, but it mattered not to any of them. The dark times were finally behind them.

It was a warm night, and the breezes were fine; the cabin door was open just slightly, and William could smell the sea. He breathed it in deeply, delighting in the way that the heart within his chest beat more strongly with the salt air filling his lungs. Elizabeth stirred slightly, then cuddled herself even closer into her husband's warm arms. She was sleeping like as if she had not slept at all in the months that they had been parted. She was the lovely picture of contentment.

He noted, with a chuckle, that she was much more content than she had been earlier, when he forced her witness just what it was like to pull what was left of a damaged tooth from a pirate captain's jaw, much to Jack's loud protestations. One tooth had been completely knocked out during the struggle for the chest, and the damaged one was too far gone to try to save with a gold crown. It was imperitive to pull it, as an abscessed tooth could be fatal.

William felt that perhaps Elizabeth would feel more empathy for Jack and his pain if she was the one to hold Jack down in a chair while the tooth was extracted, and once she heard the sickening "pop" and saw the roots of poor Jack's tooth in Mr. Gibb's pliers, she burst into tears and hugged the sick and irritable captain for a full twenty minutes, finally putting him to bed for a good part of the afternoon until it stopped bleeding. She felt terrible until Jack reassured her that she was only being faithful to her promise to guard William's heart... he just didn't duck quickly enough to avoid being hit nearly all the way back to Madagascar by that faithfulness.

William could not sleep, and he carefully got up from their shared bunk, and softly went out upon the main deck, his hand over his bandaged chest. He nodded at Mr. Murtogg and Mr. Mulroy, who were finishing up their duties and turning in for the night. He looked up at the helm... and at the slender, silhouetted figure at the wheel. The ends of the figure's bandana were flying in the wind, and he swayed gracefully with the motion of the ship as she sailed forward in the moonlight. He seemed to be talking to himself.

William finally understood this man. He looked back at the past, when he had bound himself to the constrictions of society, to believing that good and bad were simply that, and that pirates were bad. Then this man, this pirate, stumbled into all of their lives, and changed them forever. William now knew that Captain Jack Sparrow had been right all along about what made good men, and he was one of them. The best of them. They'd had differences, only to find that they were so very much alike... William, Elizabeth and Jack Sparrow were so very much alike, that the Turners could not imagine their lives without the captain in it... they were all peas in a pod...

William and Elizabeth had not told Jack yet, but they really did not wish to settle back in the Caribbean... a visit would be nice, but they did not wish to live there, now, with so many memories of those things and people that they had lost. They were now known pirates, and would always be looking over their shoulders. They wished to stay upon the sea...they had no desire to leave the Pearl, nor could they leave the man that had proved to them beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was their best friend. He also needed them, although he had never said it... and never would... but they knew it. He knew that he was... _different_.. .than when they had first met... he needed them very much... if they decided to leave, he would no doubt try to change their minds, but would not stop them...but they had no desire to leave.

William felt the wind in his own hair, and he understood why Jack Sparrow loved freedom above everything else. William had been imprisoned; he had lost his freedom in the worst way that a man could ... he had lost his love and his heart. But like Jack Sparrow, who had seen many horrors and had experienced death, William had never lost his humanity. William looked up at the stars, at the homemade pirate flag flying from a lower part of the mast, then looked back up at the slight man upon the quarterdeck, long hair blowing wildly and tricorn hat perched crookedly upon his head. The figure paused for a moment to gingerly rub a swollen jaw, and then took a very careful swallow of rum from the bottle that was inside of his coat. Even in the darkness, the pair shared a smile and a nod. William and Elizabeth Turner and Captain Jack Sparrow had all experienced terrible loneliness, but now, William swore to himself, none of them would ever be alone again... they had proven to each other where their hearts and souls truly lie... they would always have each other...their home was the sea... and the sea, itself, was immortal...

_To be continued..the final chapter.. .the GRAND FINALE... is up next..._


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's note:** Thank you so very much to all of my readers, for the reviews, and the encouragement - you have all been wonderful. Here is the _final chapter_ of "Calypso's Hand"! I hope that you all enjoy my version of the final scene of "At World's End"... I just wrote what _could _be! Fair winds, mates! (Pirate Cat raises her mug and shouts "Huzzah! Drinks all around!!!")

_**Ten years later...**_

_Elizabeth Turner laughed at her young son, as he sang a sea chanty, off key, with great flourish of his arms, just as Jack had taught him. Little Will Turner was the mirror image of his father, William, and Elizabeth was so proud of both of them. _

_"Come on, silly... you mustn't entertain me for too long, or we shall miss the sight that your father wanted so for us to see..." She held out her hand and her son took it, literally pulling her out of the cottage door and down the dirt path that led to the tall grassy pasture that overlooked the sea._

_"It was fun to see Uncle Hector today, Mama. How did he know that we were staying here?"_

_"Well, Will, he has a nephew that lives near here, and he simply heard that Jack was not here to pick us all up yet, and he wanted to pay us a visit to make sure that we were alright. Don't tell Jack, dear, you know how Uncle Hector vexes him..."_

_"Why do they not get along, Mama? I love Jack, and Uncle Hector is so interesting to talk to... why do they not like each other?"_

_"...it's a long story, Will. They just bicker, that's all. Hector simply heard that we were here, that your father is helping James on the Dutchman, and he is rather fond of you, so we will just leave it at that, alright, dear? Just do not tell Jack that Hector was checking up on us, please promise me..." Elizabeth was eager to change the subject. _

_As they walked along, Little Will looked at the setting sun and said, "It must be getting near six o'clock, from the angle of the sun in the sky!" _

_"Jack and Papa have taught you well! You are a born sailor, and a born pirate, my love."_

_They kept walking, and Little Will looked up at his mother with his earnest, soft brown eyes. Just like Will's. "Mama, will this be the last time that Papa will have to leave for weeks to help out on the Dutchman?"_

_Elizabeth stopped, and looked at her boy, and smiled, "Yes... we think so. Of course, he may have to go out one or two more times... it depends upon how things went for this voyage. If things went well, Captain Norrington will be able to regain his soul, and return to all of us, and Papa will be free forever. If we do not see the green flash, Captain Norrington will still have work to do, and Papa must help him... it was condition of Papa's release, ten years ago... we must be patient... it might not be today. _

_'We do know that Papa will be back today to sail with us until James calls him again, if he needs to... we must remember that we have been very, very blessed, Will, that Papa has been able to spend almost all of his time with us, his family...James is our friend, and Papa was bound by Calypso to help James sometimes, so that Papa could be with us...Jack tries to watch over us when Papa is out on the Dutchman... that is, when we aren't looking after our poor Jack, right?" Elizabeth smiled. _

_The boy grinned, and said, "When Papa comes back tonight, we will soon go home to the Black Pearl, right, Mama?"_

_"Yes, yes, Jack will come and get all of us back to the ship in the morning."_

_"Huzzah!" Little Will leaped into the air, a huge smile on his face. He loved his life aboard the Pearl. Shortly after William had been set free from his captaincy, he and Elizabeth had joined Jack's crew. These had been the happiest years of the Turners' lives... Little Will had been concieved and born upon the Black Pearl, in his parents' cabin, just as Jack had been born on Captain Teague's ship, the Star of Madagascar. _

_Elizabeth wondered what might have happened to Jack had they not decided to stay aboard the Pearl... there had never been any real doubt in their minds that they would stay on the ship with the captain... neither of them would have ever forgiven themselves if anything had happened to him, if they weren't there... Jack would always have problems in his mind, and while it was vexing to them, he never changed... his cheerful nature and devilish charm made him quite interesting to live with, especially to Little Will. Jack's idiosyncrocies were fascinating to him, and together they were quite the handful. _

_"Mama, is it true that it is Ireland over there?" _

_"Yes, darling. Jack and Papa find an island for us to visit every year... so that we can remember what might have been... and celebrate that Papa did not have to stay on the Flying Dutchman. We celebrate our anniversary every year this way, and this year, Jack brought us here...those are the cliffs of Galway across from us..."_

_"Is that where Jack lived when he was little?"_

_"Yes, Will, he lived in Connemara with his mama, until she passed away... someday we hope to help Jack do something that we promised... we are going to try to help him find out where his mama is buried..." __Little Will looked a bit sad... he was so fond of Jack, and it made him feel bad to know that Jack had spent a terrible childhood; his own parents chose not to tell him about it until he was older. _

_The child brightened, however, when he saw the high grass of the pasture that was now before him. He could not wait until the Black Pearl would set sail in a few days for the Spanish Territories, for more water from the fountain...Aqua de Vida, they called it... the water that kept his family aboard the Black Pearl forever young... a form of immortality, as it were.. for now, they were looking forward to William coming home again, perhaps forever. They would have to wait and watch._

_"Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me..." Little Will sang merrily, as he skipped. _

_His mother followed behind, the wind billowing her skirts, and looked out over the horizen. She quickly caught her breath at the sight of a ship far out, almost beyond sight... it was the Flying Dutchman... and was it? Yes, off of the coast of Ireland, approaching, was the Pearl! Jack had come for William, with a longboat to bring him ashore... William had probably promised Jack quite a supply of rum for such service, she smiled. _

_It was almost time... she beckoned her son, and as she held him close, they waited..._

_And as the sun finally touched the horizen, the sky lit up with the most beautiful sight that Little William had ever seen in his young life. He gasped in amazement. A ray of bright, blinding green, only before them for the briefest of moments, shot skyward... and was gone. Elizabeth gripped her son to her, and her eyes welled up with grateful, happy tears... _

_It had happened... it was finally over... James Norrington had passed the tests set forth by Calypso... his soul had returned to earth, and he had been redeemed...he could finally return to England, to start over with his life. She felt a great weight lift from her petite shoulders..._

_And William Turner the Second, former captain of the Flying Dutchman, and First Mate of the mighty Black Pearl, had been finally been completely released from his service to the Flying Dutchman, with a wave of Calypso's hand!_

_...Elizabeth ran forward with her son, and they went down onto the rocky beach...She embraced her child to her, and they waited until they saw a long boat, a lantern, and a tall, grinning, handsome man, waving to them happily... and a slender, dark man with a golden smile, long dreadlocks and a tricorn hat, rowing... and singing loudly, and off key, to someone who he thought was sitting next to him... even though there was no one there... oh, his poor addled brain..._

_Elizabeth laughed, and ran into the water with her son... her family was home... at last...William was now also in the water, coming toward them, arms outstretched, leaving Jack to tip over backwards in the boat, boots flying skyward with a shout of "Oi!"..._

_Will was coming home... forever...there was joyful reason to remember the past, now, for it was truly passed...James was going home, at last, to England...William was coming home to all who loved him...and Jack was... well, Jack was just Jack... and they loved him that way..._

_But Will... Will was coming home, never to leave them, again... The Black Pearl would sail in the morning... with her pirate family together forever..._

**THE END**


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